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Study explains how infant-associated bacteria access milk sugars

A study published on 2 November 2026 in Nature Communications describes how an enzyme from Bifidobacterium bifidum releases certain sugars attached to short protein fragments. The team includes researchers in Birmingham and Zaragoza.

Biochemical and structural experiments show that this PNGaseA enzyme prefers glycopeptides over whole proteins. The mechanism clarifies a route to nutrients for bacteria associated with the infant gut.

The authors envisage future applications in infant nutrition. The work describes a molecular mechanism; it demonstrates neither the effectiveness of a new infant formula nor a clinical benefit in babies.

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