New publication: Revisiting Hyaluronan Catabolism in Bacteroides: Pathway Conservation, Overlooked Proteins, and Predictive Accuracy

New publication by Dr. Turková and Dr. Ambrožová team.

In their latest study investigates how gut bacteria break down hyaluronan (HA), a common host- and diet-derived glycan. By combining protein analysis, functional assays, and quantitative proteomics, we found that sequence-based predictions alone cannot reliably identify HA-degrading Bacteroides. Experimental validation confirmed HA degradation and revealed that both canonical and noncanonical proteins are induced in response to HA. These findings improve our understanding of gut microbial glycan utilization and highlight factors that could enhance predictions of microbial ecological function.