2?-(4-Methylumbelliferyl)-alpha-D-N-acetylneuraminic acid sodium salt hydrate

Light yellow powder. Soluble in water or methanol. Fluorogenic substrate used to measure sensitively enzymatic neuraminidase activity in fluorometric assays in mammalian and viral sources. Neuraminidase is catalyzed by the hydrolysation to form N-acetylneuraminic acid and the blue fluorescent soluble compound 4-Methylumbelliferone, which can be detected fluorometrically. Spectral data: lambdaex 315 nm, lambdaem 374 nm (pH.7.0) or lambdaex 365 nm, lambdaem 445 nm (after cleavage by neuraminidase). Used for fluorescent staining of sialidases in PAGE.