C11H19NO9
M.W.: 309.27
Substrate for N-Acetylneuraminic acid aldolase. 

Both sialic acid and neuraminic acid are loosely used to refer to conjugates of neuraminic acid. N-Acetylneuraminic acid is often found as the terminal sugar of cell surface glycoproteins. Cell surface glycoproteins have important roles in cell recognition and interaction as well as in cell adhesion. Membrane glycoproteins are also important in tumor growth and metastases.

Application
N-Acetylneuraminic acid (NANA, Neu5Ac) is a major component of glycoconjugates such as glycolipids, glycoproteins and proteoglycans (sialogylcoproteins) where it confers selective binding characteristics to the glycosylated component. Neu5Ac is used to study its biochemistry, metabolism and uptake in vivo and in vitro. Neu5Ac is used in the development of nanocarriers.