Polysaccharides articles from across Nature Portfolio

Fucoidan active ingredient SFW-0.5-O can effectively inhibit osteoclastogenesis, promote osteoblast differentiation, and improve osteoporosis symptoms caused by estrogen deprivation.

Few aerobic hyperthermophilic microorganisms are known to degrade polysaccharides. Here, Nou et al. use genomic information to enrich and optical tweezers to isolate an aerobic hyperthermophilic bacterium that can grow at 65–87.5 °C using polysaccharides as sole carbon sources.

Bacteria can synthesize and secrete cellulosic polymers using membrane-associated multiprotein complexes consisting of cellulose synthases and accessory subunits. Here, Anso et al. use cryogenic electron microscopy to shed light on the mechanisms underlying accessory subunit recruitment and function within the Bcs macrocomplex for phosphoethanolamine-modified cellulose secretion in E. coli.

Here, the authors characterize the structure of the Lipooligosaccharide of the gut symbiont Akkermansia muciniphila showing unique features and TLR4 and TLR2 signaling capacity, which underscore the beneficial properties of this bacterium.

A bacterial tridecasaccharide known to prevent inflammatory bowel disease has been synthesized.

A series of in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo studies show that starch structure and plant tissue intactness control glucose release from pea-based foods. Modification of these characteristics through plant breeding and food processing may provide opportunities for enhanced food formulation, but challenges for labelling and communication.

Cell walls made mainly of polysaccharides are a distinguishing feature of plants. They play key roles in adaptation today and during pivotal evolutionary events, such as colonization of dry land and development of a water-conducting vascular system. A critical enzyme involved in cell wall biosynthesis has now been identified.

The synergistic action of cellulases is critical for the effective saccharification of cellulosic biomass, but the details of this cooperation remain poorly understood. Quantitative analysis at the level of single molecules now unveils a form of 'work sharing' among cellulolytic enzymes based on different adsorption specificities of their carbohydrate-binding modules.