Biomaterial Database

Sizing up sialic acid in glomerular disease. 2007

Susan E Quaggin

The Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. quaggin@mshri.on.ca

A new study by Galeano and colleagues in this issue of the JCI reports the first glomerular disease caused by a genetic defect in sialic acid biosynthesis (see the related article beginning on page 1585). Mice that harbor mutations in the Gne/Mnk gene produce lower amounts of sialic acid, suffer from hematuria, proteinuria, and structural defects in the glomerulus and die within days after birth. Remarkably, the lesion can be reversed through dietary addition of N-acetylmannosamine, a sialic acid precursor, raising the intriguing possibility that this approach might have therapeutic benefit in patients with glomerular disease.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007674	Kidney Diseases	Pathological processes of the KIDNEY or its component tissues.	Disease, Kidney,Diseases, Kidney,Kidney Disease
D007678	Kidney Glomerulus	A cluster of convoluted capillaries beginning at each nephric tubule in the kidney and held together by connective tissue.	Glomerulus, Kidney
D008817	Mice, Mutant Strains	Mice bearing mutant genes which are phenotypically expressed in the animals.	Mouse, Mutant Strain,Mutant Mouse Strain,Mutant Strain of Mouse,Mutant Strains of Mice,Mice Mutant Strain,Mice Mutant Strains,Mouse Mutant Strain,Mouse Mutant Strains,Mouse Strain, Mutant,Mouse Strains, Mutant,Mutant Mouse Strains,Mutant Strain Mouse,Mutant Strains Mice,Strain Mouse, Mutant,Strain, Mutant Mouse,Strains Mice, Mutant,Strains, Mutant Mouse
D008954	Models, Biological	Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of biological processes or diseases. For disease models in living animals, DISEASE MODELS, ANIMAL is available. Biological models include the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment.	Biological Model,Biological Models,Model, Biological,Models, Biologic,Biologic Model,Biologic Models,Model, Biologic
D009097	Multienzyme Complexes	Systems of enzymes which function sequentially by catalyzing consecutive reactions linked by common metabolic intermediates. They may involve simply a transfer of water molecules or hydrogen atoms and may be associated with large supramolecular structures such as MITOCHONDRIA or RIBOSOMES.	Complexes, Multienzyme
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D004195	Disease Models, Animal	Naturally-occurring or experimentally-induced animal diseases with pathological processes analogous to human diseases.	Animal Disease Model,Animal Disease Models,Disease Model, Animal
D005260	Female		Females
D006595	Hexosamines	AMINO SUGARS created by adding an amine group to a hexose sugar.	Hexosamine
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man