N-Acetylneuraminic acid is an N-acyl derivative of neuraminic acid. N-acetylneuraminic acid occurs in many polysaccharides, glycoproteins, and glycolipids in animals and bacteria.
N-Acetylneuraminic acid is useful biologically in neurotransmission, leukocyte extravasation, viral or bacterial infections and carbohydrate-protein recognition.