Exploration of the Sialic Acid World

In a masterpiece of glycoscience, two, among the world experts on Sialic Acid retrace 80 years of history and describe the cartography where continents of knowledge have accumulated and where new explorations may be undertaken.

Over a document of more than 200 pages, accompanied by 1171 references, the authors cover the historical evolution that led to the present knowledge on sialic acids.

• Paving the Way With Ehrlich’s Aldehyde and Bial’s Orcinol Reagents
• The First Creation of Chemical Structures
• The Battle for the Stereochemistry
• Elucidating the O-Substitution Patterns
• Different Views on the Conformation of the Glycerol Side Chain
• An Impression of Analytical Techniques as Used in Sialic Acid Analysis
• Sialic Acids as a Part of Glycoproteins, Glycolipids, Oligosaccharides, and
• Polysaccharides
• Growing Interest From the Organic and Enzymatic Chemistry
• Structural Variants of the Sialic Acid Backbone
• Unraveling the Metabolism of Sialic Acids
• The Biology of Sialic Acids
• Hereditary Sialic Acid Diseases

Sialic acids are among the most striking molecules in higher animals and many microorganisms, and these monosaccharides play a role in all branches of cell biology. There is no doubt that this chapter will remain a bedside book of many glycoscientists