N-acetylglucosamine Regulates Virulence Properties in Microbial Pathogens

An ngt1[delta] mutant was defective in inducing hyphae, indicating that intracellular GlcNAc activates signaling. Since Ngt1 was the first eukaryotic GlcNAc transporter to be identified, its discovery has also helped to define the role of GlcNAc transport in other species. In this way, GlcNAc is similar to many different chemical messengers, including quorum sensing factors, that are also used to communicate both intra- and interspecies [35]. [...]it will be important to define the roles for GlcNAc signaling in complex environments, such as the human gut or in polymicrobial infections that contain a diverse array of bacteria, fungi, and human cells [36].