PUGNAc is a 1,5-hydroximolactone, acting as an

inhibitor Inhibitor or inhibition may refer to: Biology * Enzyme inhibitor, a substance that binds to an enzyme and decreases the enzyme's activity * Reuptake inhibitor, a substance that increases neurotransmission by blocking the reuptake of a neurotransmi ...

of a variety of N-acetylhexosaminidases. It was long thought that increased levels of ''O''-GlcNAc in human cells lead to

Type II diabetes Type 2 diabetes (T2D), formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent ...

. O-GlcNAc levels were artificially raised with PUGNAc, which inhibits O-GlcNAcase, a beta-exo-N-acetylhexosaminidase which cleaves beta-O-linked-N-acetylglucosamine residues from glycoproteins. As a result of this inhibition, a type II diabetic phenotype was observed. Recent pharmacological studies using a more selective O-GlcNAcase inhibitor did not see this effect. However, genetic manipulation of O-GlcNAc levels is consistent with the effects observed by PUGNAc, namely insulin resistance upon elevation of O-GlcNAc levels.

Fictional references

PUGNAc was used by

Michael Scofield Michael J. Scofield, portrayed by Wentworth Miller, is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of the American television series ''Prison Break''. Character development Michael was conceived after ''Prison Break'' creator Paul Sch ...

in the television series ''

Prison Break ''Prison Break'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Paul Scheuring for Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox. The series revolves around two brothers: Lincoln Burrows (Dominic P ...

'' to keep his

blood sugar The blood sugar level, blood sugar concentration, blood glucose level, or glycemia is the measure of glucose concentrated in the blood. The body tightly regulates blood glucose levels as a part of metabolic homeostasis. For a 70 kg (1 ...

level high to appear diabetic.Season 1, episode 1

Fictional references

References

Further reading