The Role of Sialidases in the Development of Bacterial Vaginosis and their Use as Potential Markers in the Diagnosis of Vaginal Infections

Małgorzata Bodaszewska-Lubaś; Karolina Kot; Monika Brzychczy-Włoch

doi:10.2478/am-2026-0003

Figures & Tables

Bacterial shift from eubiosis to dysbiosis in bacterial vaginosis (BV) development. Own graphic design according to Biorender software (https://BioRender.com/ulmg6r6).Legend: LAB – Lactic Acid Bacteria; BVAB – BV-associated bacteria; sugar residues forming the structures of N- and O-glycans: GlcNAc – N-acetylglucosamine; GalNAc – N-acetylgalactosamine; Man – Mannose; Gal – Galactose; Neu5Ac – N-acetylneuraminic acid; Glc – Glucose; Fuc – Fucose.

Overview of bacterial vaginosis diagnosis. Own graphic design using Biorender software (https://BioRender.com/entt8c0).Legend: BV – Bacterial Vaginosis; POCT – Point-Of-Care Tests; NAAT – Nucleic Acid Amplification Test; FISH – Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization; NGS – Next-Generation Sequencing; PCR – Polymerase Chain Reaction; MALDI MS – Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

Sialidase mechanism of action. Own graphic design according to Biorender software (https://biorender.com/97qvka8).Legend: Sugar residues forming the structures of N- and O-glycans: GlcNAc – N-acetylglucosamine; GalNAc – N-acetylgalactosamine; Man – Mannose; Gal – Galactose; Neu5Ac – N-acetylneuraminic acid.

Comparison of bacterial and human sialidases_

Organism	Sialidase type	Substrate	Result of action	References
*Gardnarella vaginalis*	GvNanH1GvNanH2GvNanH3	α-2,3 and α-2,6-linked Neu5Ac or Neu5Gc on N- and O-glycans in the vaginal and cervical environment	major virulence factor to BV; diagnostic marker (GvNanH3); mucin and glycoprotein degradation; GvNanH1 and GvNanH2 are stronger obligations than GvNanH3	Novak et al. 2023
*Prevotella timonensis*	PtNanH1PtNanH2	α-2,3 and α-2,6-linked Neu5Ac or Neu5Gc on O-glycans (mucin type) in the vaginal and cervical environment and IgA or IgG glycans	strong mucin degradation; contributes to BV and epithelial glycocalyx disruption; PtNanH2 are stronger obligations than PtNanH1	Pelayo et al. 2024; Segui-Perez et al. 2024
*Streptococcus pneumoniae*	NanA	α-2,3; α-2,6- and α-2,8-linked Neu5Ac on glycans in the respiratory environment and the blood-brain barrier	involved in colonization and pathogenesis of respiratory infections; NanA is exo- or hydrolytic sialidase, hydrolyzing its substrates to release Neu5Ac; NanB is intramolecular trans-sialidase	Manco et al. 2006; Tseng et al. 2021
*Streptococcus pneumoniae*	NanB	α-2,3 linked Neu5Ac on glycans in the respiratory environment		Manco et al. 2006; Tseng et al. 2021
*Clostridium perfringens*	NanHNanINanJ	α-2,3; α-2,6- and α-2,8-linked sialid acid in glycoproteins, glycolipids, colominic acid	tissue degradation; virulence factor	Wang 2020
*Homo sapiens*	NEU1NEU3NEU4	α-2,3 and α-2,6-linked Neu5Ac on N- and O-glycans in the every cell organism	NEU1 is a lysosomal sialidase, NEU3 is a plasma membrane-associated sialidase, NEU4 is found in lysosomes, mitochondria, and the endoplasmic reticulum; glycan remodeling, potential role in homeostasis and dysbiosis	Zhou et al. 2020, Chen et al. 2024

The Role of Sialidases in the Development of Bacterial Vaginosis and their Use as Potential Markers in the Diagnosis of Vaginal Infections

Figures & Tables

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Comparison of bacterial and human sialidases_

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