Martina Mühlenhoff

TL;DR: It is revealed that the essential role of polySia resides in the control and coordination of NCAM interactions during mouse brain development, and this first demonstration in vivo that a highly specific glycan structure is more important than the glycoconjugate as a whole provides a novel view on the relevance of protein glycosylation for the complex process of building the vertebrate brain.

TL;DR: The data represent convincing evidence that the polycondensation of α–2,8–linked sialic acids in mammals is the result of a single enzymatic activity and provide a new basis for studying the functional role of PSA in neuro- and tumour biology.

TL;DR: A mechanism of capsular polysaccharide phase variation in Neisseria meningitidis and correlation between capsule phase variation and bacterial invasion and the out‐break of meningococcal disease is described.

TL;DR: The crystal structures of endosialidase NF and its complex with oligomeric sialic acid indicate that the unique polySia specificity evolved from a combination of structural elements characteristic of exosilidases and bacteriophage tailspike proteins.

TL;DR: Polysialic acid is a unique cell surface polysaccharide found in the capsule of neuroinvasive bacteria and as a highly regulated post-translational modification of the neural cell adhesion molecule.