NAGK (N-acetylglucosamine kinase) is a multifunctional enzyme with both metabolic and regulatory roles. Its primary function involves converting N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) to GlcNAc 6-phosphate, contributing to hexosamine salvage pathways that support tumor growth 1. NAGK plays a crucial role in maintaining UDP-GlcNAc pools when glutamine is limited, with elevated expression observed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma where its deletion impairs tumor growth 1. The enzyme is subject to complex post-translational regulation through phosphorylation and pyrophosphorylation at serine 76, which significantly reduces its kinase activity and alters protein-protein interactions 2. Beyond its canonical metabolic function, NAGK exhibits non-canonical structural roles in neuronal development, promoting dendritic complexity and branching through interactions with proteins like SNRPN and dynein-mediated microtubule transport 34. NAGK has therapeutic relevance in neurodevelopmental disorders, as it can rescue impaired axodendritic development in Prader-Willi syndrome patient-derived neurons 4. Clinically, NAGK serves as a reference gene for detecting MYCN amplification in neuroblastoma patients through plasma-based qPCR assays 5.