Sialic acids biological function

In previous articles [3-5], the former literature has been extensively reviewed with respect to a number of chemical, biological, metabolic, functional as well as historical aspects. Since 1982 [4,5], the proliferation of the literature on the chemistry, biochemistry and (molecular) biology of sialic acids has accelerated dramatically, and several short reviews dealing with specific aspects of sialic acids have appeared [6-12]. 

Rye CS, Withers SG (2000) Glycosidase mechanisms, CurrOpin Chem Biol 4 573-580 Saito M, Yu RK (1995) Biochemistry and function of sialidases. In Rosenberg A (ed) Biology of the sialic acids. Plenum, NY, pp 261-313... 

CHEMISTRY, METABOLISM, AND BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS OF SIALIC ACIDS... 

In the following Sections, the biological functions of sialic acids will be divided into four groups, and described on the basis of some well established examples selected from the flood of publications in... 

The part of the sialic acid molecule that is principally responsible for this biological function is still unknown the supposed, main con-... 

R. Schauer, Chemistry, metabolism and biological functions of sialic acids, Adv. Carbohydr. Chem. Biochem. 40 131 (1982). 

W. Reutier, E. Kottgen, C. Bauer, and W. Gerok, Biological significance of sialic acid, in Sialic Acids. Chemistry, Metabolism, and Function, R. Schauer, ed., Springer-Verlag, Vienna, 1982, p. 263. 

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