GlcNAc is the monomeric unit of the polymer chitin, which forms the exoskeletons of arthropods like insects and crustaceans.

[1] It has been proposed as a treatment for autoimmune diseases and recent tests have claimed some success.

[2][3] O-GlcNAcylation is the process of adding a single N-acetylglucosamine sugar to the serine or threonine of a protein.

[4] Comparable to phosphorylation, addition or removal of N-acetylglucosamine is a means of activating or deactivating enzymes or transcription factors.

When O-GlcNAcylation was increased in the hippocampus of aged mice, spatial learning and memory improved.