A brain enzyme has been caught self-modifying to build polysialic acid, a sugar chain critical for brain development. The discovery overturns decades of assumptions about enzyme regulation.

The enzyme builds polysialic acid on itself, a process never before observed.

This mechanism overturns a 50-year-old assumption about enzyme regulation.

Next steps include exploring therapeutic applications for neurological conditions.

This discovery could unlock new approaches to studying brain function.

The enzyme ST8SIA2 builds polysialic acid on itself, a process previously thought impossible.

First Evidence: Brain Enzyme Self-Modifies to Control Sugar Chain Production