Cai S
Multigenerational adversity impacts on human gut microbiome composition and socioemotional functioning in early childhood
This study draws on a large longitudinal cohort to demonstrate that adversity experienced prenatally or during early childhood, as well as adversity experienced by the mother during her childhood, impacts the gut microbiome of second-generation children at 2 y old. Notably, some of the microbiome profiles linked to these types of adversity, especially at higher taxonomic levels, were similar to those associated with the child’s current and future socioemotional functioning. Additionally, microbes uniquely associated with adversity exposures or socioemotional functioning have similar immune-related functions within the gut, highlighting the need for further research into how generational adversity affects the gut microbiome’s functional potential.
ReadDirecting GDNF-mediated neuronal signaling with proactively programmable cell-surface saccharide-free glycosaminoglycan mimetics
A significant barrier to harnessing the power of cell-surface glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) to modulate glial cell-line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) signaling is the difficulty in accessing key GAG structures involved. Here, we report tailored GDNF signaling using synthetic polyproline-based GAG mimetics (PGMs).
ReadFacile saccharide-free mimetics that recapitulate key features of glycosaminoglycan sulfation patterns
Controlling glycosaminoglycan (GAG) activity to exploit its immense potential in biology ultimately requires facile manipulation of sulfation patterns associated with GAGs. However, satisfying this requirement in full remains challenging, given that synthesis of GAGs is technically arduous while convenient GAG mimetics often produce sulfation patterns that are uncharacteristic of GAGs.
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