On the structure and function of Escherichia coli YjhC: an oxidoreductase involved in bacterial sialic acid metabolism

The manuscript presents a structural and functional investigation into an uncharacterised enzyme thought to play a role in sialic acid catabolism in pathogenic bacteria. Sialic acid is an amino sugar which can be utilised by pathogenic bacteria as nutrient source, or alternatively used to coat their own cell surfaces and serve as a camouflage from the host’s innate immune system.