As E. histolytica possesses a β-N-acetylhexosaminidase, which potentially releases GalNAc and GlcNAc from human intestinal mucins; via the action of GalE, these building blocks can be utilised to generate UDP-GlcNAc, the precursor for the chitin of the amoebic cyst wall. This evidence concerns the gene GALE and cyst.