Identification and characterisation of vaginal bacteria-glycan interactions implicated in reproductive tract health and pregnancy outcomes
Abstract Lactobacillus displacement from the vaginal microbiome associates with adverse health outcomes and is linked to increased risk of preterm birth. Glycans mediate bacterial adhesion events involved in colonisation and infection. Using customised glycan microarrays, we establish glycan interac...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60404-1 |
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| author | Virginia Tajadura-Ortega Wengang Chai Lauren A. Roberts Yibing Zhang Antonio Di Maio Alexiane C. Decout Benedita A. Pinheiro Angelina S. Palma Gian De Nicola Lucia Riaposova Belen Gimeno-Molina Yun S. Lee Hongzhi Cao Vladimir Piskarev Yukie Akune Tiago R. D. Costa Himani Amin Lynne Sykes Phillip R. Bennett Julian R. Marchesi Ten Feizi Yan Liu David A. MacIntyre |
| author_facet | Virginia Tajadura-Ortega Wengang Chai Lauren A. Roberts Yibing Zhang Antonio Di Maio Alexiane C. Decout Benedita A. Pinheiro Angelina S. Palma Gian De Nicola Lucia Riaposova Belen Gimeno-Molina Yun S. Lee Hongzhi Cao Vladimir Piskarev Yukie Akune Tiago R. D. Costa Himani Amin Lynne Sykes Phillip R. Bennett Julian R. Marchesi Ten Feizi Yan Liu David A. MacIntyre |
| author_sort | Virginia Tajadura-Ortega |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Lactobacillus displacement from the vaginal microbiome associates with adverse health outcomes and is linked to increased risk of preterm birth. Glycans mediate bacterial adhesion events involved in colonisation and infection. Using customised glycan microarrays, we establish glycan interaction profiles of vaginal bacteria implicated in reproductive health. Glycan binding signatures of the opportunistic pathogens Escherichia coli, Fusobacterium nucleatum and Streptococcus agalactiae to oligomannose N-glycans, galactose-terminating glycans and hyaluronic acid, respectively are highly distinct from Lactobacillus commensals. Binding to sulphated glycosaminoglycans by vaginal bacteria is pH dependent, as is binding to neutral and sialic acid-terminating glycans by F. nucleatum. Adhesion of Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus iners, Gardnerella vaginalis, S. agalactiae and F. nucleatum to vaginal epithelial cells is partially mediated by chondroitin sulphate. S. agalactiae binding to chondroitin sulphate C oligosaccharides is inhibited by L. crispatus. This study highlights glycans as mediators of vaginal bacterial binding events involved in reproductive health and disease. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ffa49635a48d49bbbb96309a9d6442fe |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-ffa49635a48d49bbbb96309a9d6442fe2025-08-20T02:30:42ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-06-0116111710.1038/s41467-025-60404-1Identification and characterisation of vaginal bacteria-glycan interactions implicated in reproductive tract health and pregnancy outcomesVirginia Tajadura-Ortega0Wengang Chai1Lauren A. Roberts2Yibing Zhang3Antonio Di Maio4Alexiane C. Decout5Benedita A. Pinheiro6Angelina S. Palma7Gian De Nicola8Lucia Riaposova9Belen Gimeno-Molina10Yun S. Lee11Hongzhi Cao12Vladimir Piskarev13Yukie Akune14Tiago R. D. Costa15Himani Amin16Lynne Sykes17Phillip R. Bennett18Julian R. Marchesi19Ten Feizi20Yan Liu21David A. MacIntyre22March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College LondonMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College LondonMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College LondonMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College LondonGlycosciences Laboratory, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College LondonInstitute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College LondonUCIBIO, Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, and Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University LisbonUCIBIO, Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, and Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University LisbonRandall Division of Biophysics, New Hunt’s House, Guy’s Campus, King’s College LondonMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College LondonMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College LondonMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College LondonSchool of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of ChinaNesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds, Russian Academy of SciencesGlycosciences Laboratory, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College LondonCentre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonCentre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College LondonMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College LondonMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College LondonMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College LondonMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College LondonMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College LondonAbstract Lactobacillus displacement from the vaginal microbiome associates with adverse health outcomes and is linked to increased risk of preterm birth. Glycans mediate bacterial adhesion events involved in colonisation and infection. Using customised glycan microarrays, we establish glycan interaction profiles of vaginal bacteria implicated in reproductive health. Glycan binding signatures of the opportunistic pathogens Escherichia coli, Fusobacterium nucleatum and Streptococcus agalactiae to oligomannose N-glycans, galactose-terminating glycans and hyaluronic acid, respectively are highly distinct from Lactobacillus commensals. Binding to sulphated glycosaminoglycans by vaginal bacteria is pH dependent, as is binding to neutral and sialic acid-terminating glycans by F. nucleatum. Adhesion of Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus iners, Gardnerella vaginalis, S. agalactiae and F. nucleatum to vaginal epithelial cells is partially mediated by chondroitin sulphate. S. agalactiae binding to chondroitin sulphate C oligosaccharides is inhibited by L. crispatus. This study highlights glycans as mediators of vaginal bacterial binding events involved in reproductive health and disease.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60404-1 |
| spellingShingle | Virginia Tajadura-Ortega Wengang Chai Lauren A. Roberts Yibing Zhang Antonio Di Maio Alexiane C. Decout Benedita A. Pinheiro Angelina S. Palma Gian De Nicola Lucia Riaposova Belen Gimeno-Molina Yun S. Lee Hongzhi Cao Vladimir Piskarev Yukie Akune Tiago R. D. Costa Himani Amin Lynne Sykes Phillip R. Bennett Julian R. Marchesi Ten Feizi Yan Liu David A. MacIntyre Identification and characterisation of vaginal bacteria-glycan interactions implicated in reproductive tract health and pregnancy outcomes Nature Communications |
| title | Identification and characterisation of vaginal bacteria-glycan interactions implicated in reproductive tract health and pregnancy outcomes |
| title_full | Identification and characterisation of vaginal bacteria-glycan interactions implicated in reproductive tract health and pregnancy outcomes |
| title_fullStr | Identification and characterisation of vaginal bacteria-glycan interactions implicated in reproductive tract health and pregnancy outcomes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identification and characterisation of vaginal bacteria-glycan interactions implicated in reproductive tract health and pregnancy outcomes |
| title_short | Identification and characterisation of vaginal bacteria-glycan interactions implicated in reproductive tract health and pregnancy outcomes |
| title_sort | identification and characterisation of vaginal bacteria glycan interactions implicated in reproductive tract health and pregnancy outcomes |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60404-1 |
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