N-Acetyl--D-Glucosamine

N-Acetyl--D-glucosamine is the monomeric unit of chitin. It is also part of the peptidoglycan polymer of Gram-positive bacterial cell walls. It is also a component of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with glucuronic acid.

N-Acetyl--D-glucosamine is also a component of the ABO blood group antigens (Figure 9.29).

See also: Biosynthesis of Glycoconjugates, Glycoproteins, Figure 9.28, Bacterial Cell Walls, Biosynthesis of Other Polysaccharides, UDP-N-Acetylglucosamine