Attenuation of polysialic acid biosynthesis in cells by the small molecule inhibitor 8-keto-sialic acid

Sialic acids are key mediators of cell function, particularly with regards to cellular interactions with the surrounding environment. Reagents that modulate the display of specific sialyl glycoforms at the cell surface would be useful biochemical tools and potentially allow for therapeutic intervention in numerous challenging chronic diseases. While multiple strategies are being explored for the control of cell surface sialosides, none that shows high selectivity between sialyltransferases or that targets a specific sialyl glycoform has yet to emerge. Here we describe a strategy to block the formation of α2,8-linked sialic acid chains (oligo- and polysialic acid) through the use of 8-keto-sialic acid as a chain-terminating metabolic inhibitor that, if incorporated, can not be elongated. 8-Keto-sialic acid is non-toxic at effective concentrations and serves to block polysialic acid synthesis in cancer cell lines and primary immune cells, with minimal effects on other sialyl glycoforms.