This entry represents a domain found in the bacterial UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase WecB, which is involved in the enterobacterial common antigen biosynthesis []. It can also be found in the N-terminal region of the mammalian bifunctional protein GNE, which has both the UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase and the N-acetylmannosamine kinase functions. GNE catalyses the first two steps of sialic acid biosynthesis in the cytosol []. Proteins containing this domain also include UDP-N,N'-diacetylbacillosamine 2-epimerase, which is involved in biosynthesis of legionaminic acid (5,7-diamino-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-non-2-ulosonic acid)(Leg), a sialic acid-like derivative that is incorporated into virulence-associated cell surface glycoconjugates such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) which could be a key determinant in the ability of L. pneumophila to inhibit the fusion of phagosomes with lysosomes [].
