Identification and characterisation of vaginal bacteria-glycan interactions implicated in reproductive tract health and pregnancy outcomes

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 () and David A. MacIntyre ()
Additional contact information
Virginia Tajadura-Ortega: March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London
Wengang Chai: March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London
Lauren A. Roberts: March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London
Yibing Zhang: March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London
Antonio Di Maio: Imperial College London
Alexiane C. Decout: Imperial College London
Benedita A. Pinheiro: NOVA University Lisbon
Angelina S. Palma: NOVA University Lisbon
Gian De Nicola: King’s College London
Lucia Riaposova: March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London
Belen Gimeno-Molina: March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London
Yun S. Lee: March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London
Hongzhi Cao: Ocean University of China
Vladimir Piskarev: Russian Academy of Sciences
Yukie Akune: Imperial College London
Tiago R. D. Costa: Imperial College London
Himani Amin: Imperial College London
Lynne Sykes: March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London
Phillip R. Bennett: March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London
Julian R. Marchesi: March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London
Ten Feizi: March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London
Yan Liu: March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London
David A. MacIntyre: March of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: 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.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60404-1

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