Glucosamine Phosphate-N-Acetyltransferase 1 (GNPNAT1)

Glucosamine-6-phosphate N-acetyltransferase 1 (GNPNAT1, GNA1) is an amino-sugar N-acetyltransferase member of the GNAT superfamily. GNPNAT1 is the key player in the pathway toward de novo synthesis of the essential metabolite UDP-GlcNAc. The enzyme is present in various eukaryotic organisms. In mouse, the homologue of GNPNAT1, EMeg32, is essential for embryonic development and inactivation of this gene in mouse embryonic fibroblasts leads to resistance to apoptotic stimuli and defects in cell proliferation. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, GNA1 has been shown to control multiple cell cycle steps and to be essential for the survival of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In addition, Candida albicans null mutants exhibit reduced virulence when injected into mice, making GNA1 a potential target for the development of antifungal agents.