Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 2, 2026
12:06
Metabolic Glycoengineering of Sialic Acid Using N-acyl-modified Mannosamines
Published on: November 25, 2017
Features and applications of bacterial sialidases
Seonghun Kim1, Doo-Byoung Oh, Hyun Ah Kang
1Microbe-based Fusion Technology Research Center, Jeonbuk Branch Institute, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 181 Ipsin-gil, Jeongeup, South Korea.
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
|May 6, 2011
Summary
Bacterial sialidases (glycosyl hydrolases) exhibit diverse substrate specificities for cleaving and transferring sialic acids. These enzymes offer potential for synthesizing complex glycans and analyzing glycan structures.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Glycobiology
- Enzymology
Background:
- Sialidases (neuraminidases) are glycosyl hydrolases releasing terminal N-acylneuraminate residues from glycans.
- Bacterial sialidases utilize sialic acids as nutrients or recognize host cell surface glycans.
- Despite structural similarities, bacterial sialidases display varied biochemical properties, including linkage and substrate specificities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the biochemical features of bacterial sialidases.
- To discuss their applications in regioselective hydrolysis and transglycosylation for synthesizing complex glycans.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of bacterial sialidase properties and applications.
- Analysis of enzymatic mechanisms including hydrolysis and transglycosylation.
- Discussion of chemoenzymatic synthesis and glycan structure analysis.
Main Results:
- Bacterial sialidases hydrolyze sialic acids linked via α(2,3)-, α(2,6)-, or α(2,8)-linkages.
- Some sialidases catalyze transglycosylation, transferring sialic acids to asialoglycoconjugates.
- Enzyme specificities vary widely among different bacterial sialidases.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial sialidases possess diverse catalytic capabilities, including hydrolysis and transglycosylation.
- These enzymes are valuable tools for chemoenzymatic synthesis of complex sialylated glycans.
- Understanding bacterial sialidase specificity aids in glycan structure analysis and therapeutic applications.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Determinants of Bacterial Pathogenicity and Virulence
Pathogenic bacteria employ a variety of strategies to establish infections, including the secretion of extracellular enzymes that act as potent virulence factors. These enzymes facilitate bacterial colonization of host tissues and help evade immune surveillance. By targeting structural components of host tissues and interfering with immune mechanisms, these enzymes play a pivotal role in disease progression.Extracellular Enzymes Facilitating Tissue Invasion: Several bacterial pathogens secrete...
01:17Microbial Biosensors
Microbial biosensors are analytical devices that utilize living microbes to detect specific substances through measurable signals. These devices consist of two main components: biosensing organisms and signal-transducing elements. Biosensing organisms, such as Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are typically housed in multiwell plates connected to transducers, enabling rapid, real-time detection of target analytes.Signal Generation MechanismWhen a target analyte—such as...
01:28Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing
Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...
01:30Bacterial Signaling
Bacterial signaling can occur within bacteria (intracellular) or between bacteria (intercellular). At times, a group of bacteria behaves like a community. To achieve this, they engage in quorum sensing, the perception of higher cell density that causes changes in gene expression. Quorum sensing involves both extracellular and intracellular signaling. The signaling cascade starts with a molecule called an autoinducer (AI). Individual bacteria produce AIs that move out of the bacterial cell...
01:28Biological Methods for Microbial Control
Biological agents offer an effective means of controlling microbial growth by leveraging natural processes like predation, competition, and the secretion of antimicrobial substances.Predatory bacteria such as Bdellovibrio species target and kill pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli. They are widely used in poultry farms to control infections. Myxococcus species help combat plant-pathogenic fungi. These naturally occurring predators serve as eco-friendly alternatives to chemical pesticides and...
01:20Applications of Molecular Taxonomy
Molecular taxonomy has revolutionized the understanding and classification of bacteria, providing precise insights into their diversity, evolutionary relationships, and ecological roles. By utilizing molecular techniques such as DNA sequencing and fingerprinting, researchers have made significant strides in various fields related to bacterial studies.Resolving Taxonomic AmbiguitiesMolecular taxonomy has been instrumental in distinguishing closely related bacterial species initially thought to...