Sialidases 1-4 (NEU1-4, neuraminidases, receptor-destroying enzymes, RDEs) hydrolyze sialic acids (N-acetylneuraminic acid, Neu5Ac) to produce asialo compounds, a step in the degradation process of glycoproteins and gangliosides and are expressed in a variety of cellular locations. NEU2 (cytosolic sialidase) hydrolyzes Neu5Ac from glycoconjugates with alpha2,3-, alpha2,6- or alpha2,8-linked terminal sialated residues in the cytosol (Monti et al. 1999, Chavas et al. 2005).
