NONULOSAMINIC ACID1, a group of simple and substituted 9-carbon sugars containing nitrogen, was thought restricted to mammals until it was found in the supernates of Escherichia coli and Citrobacter freundii cultures, but not in the supernates of Salmonella, Shigella, Pneumococcus or Bacillus cultures2. Nonulosaminic acid has now been found in the cells of E. coli 3, Neisseria meningitidis, Salmonella dahlem, and S. djkarta 4.