Background:
Sialic acids are components of carbohydrate chains of glycoconjugates and are involved in cell-cell recognition and cell-pathogen interactions. That protein has no CMP-N-acetylneuraminate monooxygenase activity and is not able to convert CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-Neu5Ac) into its hydroxylated derivative CMP-N-glycolylneuraminic acid (CMP-Neu5Gc), a sialic acid abundantly expressed at the surface of many cells in vertebrates (PubMed:9624188).However, it may play a role in Wnt signaling (PubMed:19890979).