UDP-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (sodium salt)

UDP-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (sodium salt) (CAS No.: 91183-98-1) is a nucleotide sugar derived from glucose through the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) and serves as a central metabolic intermediate linking nutrient sensing to cellular signaling processes. As the activated donor substrate for O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), it plays a critical role in mediating O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification of nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins, thereby influencing diverse signaling networks, transcriptional regulation, and protein stability. Through modulation of OGT activity and O-GlcNAc cycling, UDP-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine is widely utilized to investigate mechanisms of post-translational modification and their impact on cellular homeostasis, particularly in the context of metabolic pathway regulation and stress-responsive signaling. Although specific potency metrics are not typically defined for this endogenous substrate, its functional effects in biochemical and cell-based assays are generally observed across nanomolar to micromolar concentration ranges depending on assay configuration and enzyme availability. This compound is commonly applied in in vitro enzymatic assays, cell culture studies, and metabolic flux analyses to probe hexosamine pathway dynamics, glycosylation-dependent signaling, and disease-relevant cellular phenotypes, with experimental concentrations and conditions tailored to the specific research model and objectives.