Standardization in drawing glycan structures is essential for efficient communication. The tools and methodology illustrated here have become widely accepted by the scientific community. Use of these symbols to represent monosaccharides is now strongly recommended for all manuscripts submitted to major journals and other publications.
Citation:
Organizations and Publications Adopting SNFG
Software tools supporting SNFG
Downloadable files: Drawing format | Presentation/Slide format | Notes | Examples
Each symbol represents a specific monosaccharide or class of monosaccharides found in nature. Hover over Symbol with pointer to see the full monosaccharide name. Click on a symbol to link to the corresponding PubChem entry. Symbols can also be copied with embedded links from the table using right/control-click or highlight-copy (highlight a symbol, then control-c [on pc], or command⌘-c [on mac]). However links may not copy in some browsers. Symbols with embedded PubChem URLs are therefore also available in the presentation/slide format attachments (see links above the table). A high-quality SVG object file is also provided.
Table 1. Monosaccharide symbol nomenclature
Notes
Table 2. CMYK and RGB color assignments
Color | CMYK settings | RGB settings |
---|---|---|
White | 0/0/0/0 | 255/255/255 |
Blue | 100/50/0/0 | 0/144/188 |
Green | 100/0/100/0 | 0/166/81 |
Yellow | 0/15/100/0 | 255/212/0 |
Light blue | 41/5/3/0 | 143/204/233 |
Pink | 0/47/24/0 | 246/158/161 |
Purple | 38/88/0/0 | 165/67/153 |
Brown | 32/48/76/13 | 161/122/77 |
Orange | 0/65/100/0 | 244/121/32 |
Red | 0/100/100/0 | 237/28/36 |
Table 3. Monosaccharide abbreviations and names
Abbreviation | Short Name | Systematic name |
---|---|---|
4eLeg | 4-Epilegionaminic acid | 5,7-Diamino-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-D-glycero-D-talo-non-2-ulopyranosonic acid |
6dAlt | 6-Deoxy-L-altrose | 6-Deoxy-L-altropyranose |
6dAltNAc | N-Acetyl-6-deoxy-L-altrosamine | 2-Acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-L-altropyranose |
6dGul | 6-Deoxy-D-gulose | 6-Deoxy-D-gulopyranose |
6dTal | 6-Deoxy-D-talose | 6-Deoxy-D-talopyranose |
6dTalNAc | N-Acetyl-6-deoxy-D-talosamine | 2-Acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-D-talopyranose |
Abe | Abequose | 3,6-Dideoxy-D-xylo-hexopyranose |
Aci | Acinetaminic acid | 5,7-Diamino-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-L-glycero-L-altro-non-2-ulopyranosonic acid |
All | D-Allose | D-Allopyranose |
AllA | D-Alluronic acid | D-Allopyranuronic acid |
AllN | D-Allosamine | 2-Amino-2-deoxy-D-allopyranose |
AllNAc | N-Acetyl-D-allosamine | 2-Acetamido-2-deoxy-D-allopyranose |
Alt | L-Altrose | L-Altropyranose |
AltA | L-Altruronic acid | L-Altropyranuronic acid |
AltN | L-Altrosamine | 2-Amino-2-deoxy-L-altropyranose |
AltNAc | N-Acetyl-L-altrosamine | 2-Acetamido-2-deoxy-L-altropyranose |
Api | L-Apiose | 3-C-(Hydroxymethyl)-L-erythro-tetrofuranose |
Ara | L-Arabinose | L-Arabinopyranose |
Bac | Bacillosamine | 2,4-Diamino-2,4,6-trideoxy-D-glucopyranose |
Col | Colitose | 3,6-Dideoxy-L-xylo-hexopyranose |
DDmanHep | D-glycero-D-manno-Heptose | D-glycero-D-manno-Heptopyranose |
Dha | 3-Deoxy-D-lyxo-heptulosaric acid | 3-Deoxy-D-lyxo-hept-2-ulopyranosaric acid |
Dig | D-Digitoxose | 2,6-Dideoxy-D-ribo-hexopyranose |
Fru | D-Fructose | D-arabino-Hex-2-ulopyranose |
Fuc | L-Fucose | 6-Deoxy-L-galactopyranose |
FucNAc | N-Acetyl-L-fucosamine | 2-Acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-L-galactopyranose |
Gal | D-Galactose | D-Galactopyranose |
GalA | D-Galacturonic acid | D-Galactopyranuronic acid |
GalN | D-Galactosamine | 2-Amino-2-deoxy-D-galactopyranose |
GalNAc | N-Acetyl-D-galactosamine | 2-Acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactopyranose |
Glc | D-Glucose | D-Glucopyranose |
GlcA | D-Glucuronic acid | D-Glucopyranuronic acid |
GlcN | D-Glucosamine | 2-Amino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose |
GlcNAc | N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine | 2-Acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose |
Gul | D-Gulose | D-Gulopyranose |
GulA | D-Guluronic acid | D-Gulopyranuronic acid |
GulN | D-Gulosamine | 2-Amino-2-deoxy-D-gulopyranose |
GulNAc | N-Acetyl-D-gulosamine | 2-Acetamido-2-deoxy-D-gulopyranose |
Ido | L-Idose | L-Idopyranose |
IdoA | L-Iduronic acid | L-Idopyranuronic acid |
IdoN | L-Idosamine | 2-Amino-2-deoxy-L-idopyranose |
IdoNAc | N-Acetyl-L-idosamine | 2-Acetamido-2-deoxy-L-idopyranose |
Kdn | 3-Deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nonulosonic acid | 3-Deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-non-2-ulopyranosonic acid |
Kdo | 3-Deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid | 3-Deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulopyranosonic acid |
Leg | Legionaminic acid | 5,7-Diamino-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-non-2-ulopyranosonic acid |
LDmanHep | L-glycero-D-manno-Heptose | L-glycero-D-manno-Heptopyranose |
Lyx | D-Lyxose | D-Lyxopyranose |
Man | D-Mannose | D-Mannopyranose |
ManA | D-Mannuronic acid | D-Mannopyranuronic acid |
ManN | D-Mannosamine | 2-Amino-2-deoxy-D-mannopyranose |
ManNAc | N-Acetyl-D-mannosamine | 2-Acetamido-2-deoxy-D-mannopyranose |
Mur | Muramic acid | 2-Amino-3-O-[(R)-1-carboxyethyl]-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose |
MurNAc | N-Acetylmuramic acid | 2-Acetamido-3-O-[(R)-1-carboxyethyl]-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose |
MurNGc | N-Glycolylmuramic acid | 3-O-[(R)-1-Carboxyethyl]-2-deoxy-2-glycolamido-D-glucopyranose |
Neu | Neuraminic acid | 5-Amino-3,5-dideoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-non-2-ulopyranosonic acid |
Neu5Ac | N-Acetylneuraminic acid | 5-Acetamido-3,5-dideoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-non-2-ulopyranosonic acid |
Neu5Gc | N-Glycolylneuraminic acid | 3,5-Dideoxy-5-glycolamido-D-glycero-D-galacto-non-2-ulopyranosonic acid |
Oli | Olivose | 2,6-Dideoxy-D-arabino-hexopyranose |
Par | Paratose | 3,6-Dideoxy-D-ribo-hexopyranose |
Pse | Pseudaminic acid | 5,7-Diamino-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-L-glycero-L-manno-non-2-ulopyranosonic acid |
Psi | D-Psicose | D-ribo-Hex-2-ulopyranose |
Qui | D-Quinovose | 6-Deoxy-D-glucopyranose |
QuiNAc | N-Acetyl-D-quinovosamine | 2-Acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-D-glucopyranose |
Rha | L-Rhamnose | 6-Deoxy-L-mannopyranose |
RhaNAc | N-Acetyl-L-rhamnosamine | 2-Acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-L-mannopyranose |
Rib | D-Ribose | D-Ribopyranose |
Sia | Sialic acid | Sialic acid residue of unspecified type |
Sor | L-Sorbose | L-xylo-Hex-2-ulopyranose |
Tag | D-Tagatose | D-lyxo-Hex-2-ulopyranose |
Tal | D-Talose | D-Talopyranose |
TalA | D-Taluronic acid | D-Talopyranuronic acid |
TalN | D-Talosamine | 2-Amino-2-deoxy-D-talopyranose |
TalNAc | N-Acetyl-D-talosamine | 2-Acetamido-2-deoxy-D-talopyranose |
Tyv | Tyvelose | 3,6-Dideoxy-D-arabino-hexopyranose |
Xyl | D-Xylose | D-Xylopyranose |
Clicking on the abbreviation leads to the corresponding entry in PubChem