Post by UBC Science Okanagan

“Longitudinal analysis of human milk oligosaccharides and mucin-2-glycans in infants reveals enrichment of sulfated and glucuronic acid-bearing HMOs” Our bodies coat the gut lining with a protective protein called mucin-2 (MUC2), decorated with thousands of sugar chains that help maintain a healthy gut microbiome. Interestingly, human breast milk contains free sugars — called human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) — that chemically resemble these gut sugars and play crucial roles in shaping infant immunity, gut bacteria, and brain development. This research mapped the diversity of these sugars in early life using an advanced analytical method to identify and characterize their structures. A key discovery was the first-ever identification of a previously unknown class of HMOs containing glucuronic acid, alongside the first structural profile of neonatal MUC2 O-glycans non-invasively obtained from soiled diapers — both expanding what we know about early-life glycan complexity. Specialized fit-for-purpose methods were developed to detect acidic sugar variants — including sulfated and sialylated forms — that are harder to analyze and have been largely overlooked, despite their potential roles in regulating infant immune responses. 📃 Check out their paper in the Journal of Biological Chemistry: https://lnkd.in/gTG_yjuw #UBCOResearch #GraduateStudentResearch #Chemistry #MassSpectrometry #NeonatalHealth | UBC Okanagan Research