ABSTRACT
Acetylation is the most frequent mode of post-glycosylation modification of glycans such as glycoproteins, glycolipids, and proteoglycans observed in different animal phyla. This enigmatic modification is carried out by sialate-O-acetyltransferases (SOAT) at different positions of sialic acids attached to proteins in their activated forms. Many physiological processes like the catabolism of glycoconjugates, identification by viral hemagglutinins (HAs) and bacterial sialidases, developmental morphogenesis of tissues, and modulation of the alternative pathway of complement activation are known to be influenced by O-acetylation. Apart from their involvement in various types of diseases, their possible use as therapeutic targets has also been revealed recently. This chapter has tried to summarize the general mechanism and importance of O-acetylation as a post-glycosylation modification in humans, bacteria, and viruses. The role of this modification in different health hazards along with the therapeutic outlook has also been highlighted.
