Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40467588›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

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 and 13 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. MedComm · 2025
    Review
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

23 authors.

Virginia Tajadura-OrtegaMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London, London, UK. v.tajadura-ortega@imperial.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3091-0932
Wengang ChaiMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2977-5347
Lauren A RobertsMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2637-6319
Yibing ZhangMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London, London, UK.
Antonio Di MaioGlycosciences Laboratory, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2740-9098
Alexiane C DecoutInstitute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7761-6434
Benedita A PinheiroUCIBIO, Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, and Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, Caparica, Portugal.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3045-077X
Angelina S PalmaUCIBIO, Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, and Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, Caparica, Portugal.
Gian De NicolaRandall Division of Biophysics, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4649-9452
Lucia RiaposovaMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London, London, UK.
Belen Gimeno-MolinaMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-5399-9471
Yun S LeeMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London, London, UK.
Hongzhi CaoSchool of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266237, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4736-3143
Vladimir PiskarevNesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
Yukie AkuneGlycosciences Laboratory, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Tiago R D CostaCentre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2716-9669
Himani AminCentre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5467-6642
Lynne SykesMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7806-5707
Phillip R BennettMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6253-4919
Julian R MarchesiMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7994-5239
Ten FeiziMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6495-0329
Yan LiuMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London, London, UK. yan.liu2@imperial.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2566-6867
David A MacIntyreMarch of Dimes Prematurity Research Centre at Imperial College London, London, UK. d.macintyre@imperial.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4186-5567

Funding

Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

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.

Indexed as

BacteriaPolysaccharidesReproductive HealthVaginaBacterial AdhesionChondroitin SulfatesEpithelial CellsEscherichia coliFemaleHumansLactobacillusMicrobiotaPregnancyPregnancy OutcomeStreptococcus agalactiaeChondroitin SulfatesPolysaccharides

Identifiers

PMID40467588
PMCPMC12137855

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.