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H Brade

Publications and source records attributed to H Brade.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Characterization of high affinity monoclonal antibodies specific for chlamydial lipopolysaccharide.

Pathogens belonging to the genus Chlamydia contain lipopolysaccharide with a 3-deoxy-D- manno- oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) trisaccharide of the sequence alpha-Kdo-(2-->8)-alpha-Kdo-(2-->4)-alpha-Kdo. This lipopolysaccharide is recognized in a genus-specific pattern by murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), S25-23 and S25-2 (both IgG1kappa), which bind as the minimal structures the trisaccharide and the terminal Kdo-disaccharide, respectively. The variable domains of these mAbs were reverse transcribed from mRNA which was isolated from hybridomas and cloned as single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) in E.coli TG1. The kinetics of binding of whole antibodies, Fab fragments and scFvs to natural and synthetically modified ligands were determined by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) using synthetic neoglycoconjugates. As examples of an antibody-carbohydrate interaction involving anionic carboxyl groups on the ligand, we report that the affinities of these antibodies are higher than usually observed in carbo-hydrate-protein interactions (K(D)of 10(-3)to 10(-5)M). SPR analy-ses of monovalent Fab and scFv binding to the natural trisaccharide epitope gave dissociation constants of 770 nM for S25-2 and 350 nM for S25-23, as determined by global fitting (simultaneous fitting of several measurements at different antibody concentrations) of sensorgram data to a one-to-one interaction model. Local fitting (separate fitting of individual sensorgram data at different antibody concentrations) and Scatchard analysis of the data gave kinetic and affinity constants that were in good agreement with those obtained by global fitting. The SPR data also showed that while S25-2 bound well to several Kdo disaccharides and carboxyl-reduced Kdo ligands, S25-23 did not. Identification of amino acids in the complementarity determining regions revealed the presence of a large number of positively charged amino acids which were located towards the center of the combining site, thus suggesting a different recognition mechanism than that observed for neutral ligands. The latter mainly involves aromatic amino acids for hydrophobic stacking inter-actions and hydrogen bonds.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

In vitro characterization of anti-glucosylceramide rabbit antisera.

Glucosylceramides (GlcCer) are biosynthetic precursors of glycosphingolipids. They are widely distributed in biological systems where they exhibit numerous biological functions. Studies on the localization of glucosylceramides in different tissues have used biochemical methods only since specific antibodies against GlcCer were not previously available. We have characterized two commercially available rabbit antisera which were prepared against GlcCer of plant origin (1-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-N-acyl-4-hydroxysphinganine; GlcCer-3) or human origin (1-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-N-acyl-sphingosine; GlcCer-2) and claimed to be specific for GlcCer. The antisera were also able to detect specifically GlcCer species in crude lipid extracts from human epidermis after separation by thin-layer chromatography. The reagents are sensitive since both antisera reacted at dilutions higher than 1:500 with their homologous antigen in the nanogram range in thin layer immunostaining or dot-blot assays. The antisera are specific for GlcCer although they did not differentiate between GlcCer-2 and GlcCer-3 containing sphingosine or 4-hydroxysphinganine. The antisera also reacted with N-stearoyl-DL-dihydroglucocere-broside indicating that the naturally occurring structural variations in the amino alcohol moiety are not determining the specificity. No crossreactivity was observed with other mono- or diglycosylceramides (galactosylceramides, lactosyl-ceramide), free ceramides or structurally unrelated lipids (cholesterol, sphingomyelin, or phospholipids). Therefore, the glycosylmoiety seems to represent the major antigenic determinant. Finally, the antisera also proved to be useful for the immunohistochemical localization of GlcCer in human epidermis by which earlier biochemical data on the distribution of GlcCer in the various epidermal layers were confirmed.

Animals↗

Antibody response to lipopolysaccharide in patients colonized or infected with an endemic strain of Acinetobacter genomic species 13 sensu Tjernberg and Ursing.

The levels of antilipopolysaccharide (anti-LPS) antibodies in patients colonized with an endemic Acinetobacter strain were compared to those in patients with bloodstream infections. Seropositivity and seronegativity correlated with positive and negative blood cultures, respectively, indicating that determination of the level of anti-LPS antibodies is useful for diagnosing Acinetobacter infections.

Acinetobacter↗

3-Deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) transferase of Legionella pneumophila transfers two kdo residues to a structurally different lipid A precursor of Escherichia coli.

The 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) transferase gene of Legionella pneumophila was cloned and sequenced. Despite remarkable structural differences in lipid A, the gene complemented a corresponding Escherichia coli mutant and was shown to encode a bifunctional enzyme which transferred 2 Kdo residues to a lipid A acceptor of E. coli.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Synthesis of neoglycoproteins containing Kdo epitopes specific for Chlamydophila psittaci lipopolysaccharide.

The oligosaccharides alpha-Kdop-(2-->8)-alpha-Kdop-(2-->6)-beta-D- GlcpNAc-(1-->OAll) 4, alpha-Kdop-(2-->4)-alpha- Kdop-(2-->4)-alpha-Kdop-(2-->6)-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1-->OAll+ ++) 10, and the branched Kdo tetrasaccharide alpha- Kdop-(2-->4)-[alpha-Kdop-(2-->8)]-alpha-Kdop-(2-->4)-a lpha-Kdop-(2-->OAll) 21 have been prepared using en bloc transfer of Kdo oligosaccharide bromide donors to protected mono- or disaccharide acceptors. Radical addition of cysteamine to the anomeric allyl glycosides afforded good yields of the corresponding 3-(2-aminoethylthio)propyl glycosides 5, 11 and 22. The spacer ligands were activated with thiophosgene and reacted with bovine serum albumin to give the neoglycoconjugates 6, 12 and 23 which were used to prepare solid-phase antigens in enzyme immuno-assays for the characterization of monoclonal antibodies against chlamydial LPS. The data showed that the (2-->8)-linked Kdo disaccharide and the (2-->8)-(2-->4)-linked Kdo trisaccharide portion of the neoglycoconjugate 23 were not available for binding of antibodies which recognize these structures as di- and trisaccharide, respectively.

Animals↗

A monoclonal antibody recognizing the 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) trisaccharide alphaKdo(2-->4)alphaKdo(2-->4)alphaKdo of Chlamydophila psittaci 6BC lipopolysaccharide.

A monoclonal antibody (mAb) S45-18 was generated against a synthetic neoglycoconjugate containing the trisaccharide alphaKdo(2-->4)alphaKdo(2-->4)alphaKdo (Kdo, 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulopyranosonic acid) which represents a structure of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Chlamydophila psittaci 6BC. The antibody was characterized by binding and inhibition assays in ELISA using: (i) the immunizing antigen and chemically synthesized derivatives thereof; (ii) chlamydial elementary bodies (EB); and (iii) LPS of Chl. psittaci 6BC and Chlamydia trachomatis L2. The specificity was determined in comparison to that of mAb S25-23 recognizing the alphaKdo(2-->8)alphaKdo(2-->4)alphaKdo trisaccharide which represents an epitope shared by all species of the family. MAb S45-18 bound to an epitope of the structure alphaKdo(2-->4)alphaKdo(2-->4)alphaKdo, with lower reactivity with the (2-->8)-(2-->4)-linked analog. Using chlamydial EB or LPS, mAb S45-18 bound preferentially to LPS and EB of Chl. psittaci. Therefore, Chl. psittaci LPS contains, in addition to the known genus-specific epitope, a species-specific epitope.

Animals↗

Structural analysis of the lipopolysaccharide from Chlamydia trachomatis serotype L2.

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Chlamydia trachomatis L2 was isolated from tissue culture-grown elementary bodies using a modified phenol/water procedure followed by extraction with phenol/chloroform/light petroleum. From a total of 5 x 10(4) cm2 of infected monolayers, 22.3 mg of LPS were obtained. Compositional analysis indicated the presence of 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulopyranosonic acid (Kdo), GlcN, phosphorus, and fatty acids in a molar ratio of 2.8:2:2.1:4.5. Matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization mass spectrometry performed on the de-O-acylated LPS gave a major molecular ion peak at m/z 1781.1 corresponding to a molecule of 3 Kdo, 2 GlcN, 2 phosphates, and two 3-hydroxyeicosanoic acid residues. The structure of deacylated LPS obtained after successive treatment with hydrazine and potassium hydroxide was determined by 600 MHz NMR spectroscopy as Kdoalpha2-->8Kdoalpha2-->4Kdoalpha2-->6D-GlcpNbeta1 -->6D-GlcpNalpha 1,4'-bisphosphate. These data, together with those published recently on the acylation pattern of chlamydial lipid A (Qureshi, N., Kaltashov, I., Walker, K., Doroshenko, V., Cotter, R. J., Takayama, K, Sievert, T. R., Rice, P. A., Lin, J.-S. L., and Golenbock, D. T. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 10594-10600) allow us to present for the first time the complete structure of a major molecular species of a chlamydial LPS.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗

NMR experiments reveal distinct antibody-bound conformations of a synthetic disaccharide representing a general structural element of bacterial lipopolysaccharide epitopes.

The recognition reactions between a synthetic disaccharide alpha-Kdo-(2-->4)-alpha-Kdo-(2-->O)-allyl and two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were studied by NMR, yielding two distinct bound conformations of the carbohydrate ligand. One mAb, S23-24, recognizes the disaccharides alpha-Kdo-(2-->4)-alpha-Kdo-(2-->O)-allyl and alpha-Kdo-(2-->8)-alpha-Kdo-(2-->O)-allyl with similar affinities, whereas mAb S25-2 binds to the disaccharide alpha-Kdo-(2-->8)-alpha-Kdo-(2-->O)-allyl with an approximately 10-fold higher affinity than to the disaccharide alpha-Kdo-(2-->4)-alpha-Kdo-(2-->O)-allyl. Compared to S25-2, S23-24 binds to alpha-Kdo-(2-->4)-alpha-Kdo-(2-->O)-allyl with an approximately 50-fold increased affinity. We used NMR experiments that are based on the transferred NOE effect, specifically, trNOESY, trROESY, QUIET-trNOESY, and MINSY experiments, to show that the (2-->8)-specific mAb, S25-2, stabilizes a conformation of the alpha-(2-->4)-linked disaccharide that is not highly populated in solution. S23-24 recognizes two conformations of alpha-Kdo-(2-->4)-alpha-Kdo-(2-->O)-allyl, one that is highly populated in aqueous solution and another conformation that is similar to the one bound by S25-2. This is the first example where it is experimentally shown that a carbohydrate ligand may adopt different bioactive conformations upon interaction with mAbs with different fine specificities. Our NMR studies indicate that a careful examination of spin diffusion is critical for the analysis of bioactive conformations of carbohydrate ligands.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

Isolation and structural analysis of phosphorylated oligosaccharides obtained from Escherichia coli J-5 lipopolysaccharide.

The chemical structure of the phosphorylated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Escherichia coli J-5 was investigated because it is of biomedical interest in the context of septic shock, a syndrome often encountered in nosocomial infections with gram-negative pathogens. The successive de-O-acylation and de-N-acylation of J-5 LPS yielded phosphorylated oligosaccharides which represent the complete carbohydrate backbone. Five compounds were separated by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography and analysed by one-dimensional and two-dimensional homonuclear and heteronuclear 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and 31P-NMR spectroscopy. The main product was a nonasaccharide of the structure alpha-D-Glcp-(1-->3)-[alpha-D-GlcpN- (1-->7)-alpha-L,D-Hepp-(1-->7)]-alpha-L,D-Hepp-(1-->3)-alpha -L, D-Hepp-4P-(1-->5)-[alpha-Kdop-(2-->4)]-alpha-Kdop-(2-- >6)-beta-D-GlcpN-4p- (1-->6)-alpha-D-GlcN-1P wherein all sugars are present as D-pyranoses. Hep and Kdo represent L-glycero-D-manno-heptose and 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid, respectively. In addition, two octasaccharides and two heptasaccharides were isolated that were partial structures of the nonasaccharide. In one octasaccharide the terminal alpha-D-GlcpN was missing and an additional phosphate group linked to O4 of the branched heptose was present, whereas in the other octasaccharide the side-chain Kdo was missing. In both heptasaccharides the side-chain alpha-D-GlcpN-(1-->7)-L-alpha-D-Hepp-disaccharide was absent; they differed in their phosphate substitution. Whereas both heptasaccharides contained two phosphates in the lipid-A backbone (beta-1,6-linked GlcpN-disaccharide at the reducing end) and one phosphate group at O4 of the first heptose, only one of them was additionally substituted with phosphate at O4 of the second heptose.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗

The structures of the carbohydrate backbones of the lipopolysaccharides from Escherichia coli rough mutants F470 (R1 core type) and F576 (R2 core type).

The lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Escherichia coli rough mutant strains F470 (R1 core type) and F576 (R2 core type) were deacylated yielding in each case a mixture of oligosaccharides with one predominant product which was isolated using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography. In addition, one oligosaccharide present in minor quantities was isolated from LPS of E. coli strain F576 (R2 core type). The structures of the oligosaccharides were determined by chemical analyses and NMR spectroscopic experiments. Furthermore, de-O-acylated and dephosphorylated LPS preparations were investigated by fast-atom bombardment and collision induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry. The combined data allow us to deduce the following carbohydrate backbones of the E. coli R1 and R2 core types which share the following structure (Scheme 1): but differ in the substituents R1 and R2 which for the R1 core type are predominantly: and to a minor extent: and for the R2 core type predominantly: and to a minor extent: in which all sugars are d-pyranoses (l,d-Hep, lglycerodmanno-heptopyranose; P, phosphate).

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

Chemical and antigenic structure of the O-polysaccharide of the lipopolysaccharides from two Acinetobacter haemolyticus strains differing only in the anomeric configuration of one glycosyl residue in their O-antigens.

In a previous study [Pantophlet, R., Brade, L., Dijkshoorn, L., and Brade, H. (1998) J. Clin. Microbiol. 36, 1245-1250] the O-polysaccharide of the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Acinetobacter haemolyticus strains 57 and 61 exhibited indistinguishable banding-patterns following Western blot and immunostaining with homologous or heterologous rabbit antiserum. In this report, the molecular basis for the observed cross-reactivity was elucidated, by determining the chemical structure of the polysaccharides by compositional analysis and NMR spectroscopy. The structures are: [sequence: see text] for strain 61 [GulpNAcA, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-gulopyranosyluronic acid; ManpNAcA, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-mannopyranosyluronic acid; QuipN4N, 2,4-diamino-2,4,6-trideoxy-glucopyranose; acyl (S)-3-hydroxybutyryl], thus, differing only in the anomeric configuration of the QuipN4N residue. The antigenic structures were determined by generating murine monoclonal antibodies, which were characterized by Western blot using LPS as antigen, by ELISA using LPS and de-O-acylated LPS as solid-phase antigens, and by ELISA inhibition studies using LPS, polysaccharide, and de-O-acylated LPS as inhibitors. Of the four antibodies selected, two were specific for the respective LPS moieties and two were cross-reactive. All antibodies were found to require the presence of the O-acetyl group for reactivity.

Acinetobacter↗

Antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis heat shock proteins in women with tubal factor infertility are associated with prior infection by C. trachomatis but not by C. pneumoniae.

The antibody response to heat shock proteins 60 and 10 were studied in 163 patients with tubal factor infertility and in 163 age-matched pregnant women. The associations of these antibodies with specific antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis and to Chlamydia pneumoniae as well as with antibodies to the common chlamydial lipopolysaccharide antigen were studied. Patients with tubal factor infertility had significantly higher frequencies and titres of all antibodies except to C. pneumoniae. In a logistic regression model an association was found between the prevalence of antibodies to the heat shock proteins and to C. trachomatis but no independent influence of antibodies to C. pneumoniae. No interaction between C. trachomatis and C. pneumoniae suggesting a synergistic effect was found although the heat shock proteins from these two organisms are immunologically similar. Antibodies to the chlamydial lipopolysaccharide also seemed to be related to C. trachomatis and not to C. pneumoniae in these women.

Adult↗

Identification of Acinetobacter baumannii strains with monoclonal antibodies against the O antigens of their lipopolysaccharides.

Despite the emergence of Acinetobacter baumannii strains as nosocomial pathogens, simple methods for their phenotypic identification are still unavailable. Murine monoclonal antibodies specific for the O-polysaccharide moiety of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of two A. baumannii strains were obtained after immunization with heat-killed bacteria. The monoclonal antibodies were characterized by enzyme immunoassay and by Western and dot blot analyses and were investigated for their potential use for the identification of A. baumannii strains. The antibodies reacted with 46 of the 80 A. baumannii clinical isolates that were investigated, and reactivity was observed with 11 of 14 strains which were isolated during outbreaks in different northwestern European cities; no reactivity was observed with Acinetobacter strains of other genomic species, including the closely related genomic species 1 (Acinetobacter calcoaceticus), 3, and 13 sensu Tjernberg and Ursing, or with other gram-negative bacterial strains. The results show that O-antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies such as the ones described are convenient reagents which can be used to identify Acinetobacter strains in clinical and research laboratories.

Acinetobacter↗

Use of a murine O-antigen-specific monoclonal antibody to identify Acinetobacter strains of unnamed genomic species 13 Sensu Tjernberg and Ursing.

A monoclonal antibody against the O-antigenic polysaccharide chain of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Acinetobacter strains belonging to the unnamed genomic species 13 Sensu Tjernberg and Ursing (13TU) was obtained after immunization of BALB/c mice with heat-killed bacteria and was characterized by enzyme immunoassay and Western blot analysis, by use of LPS and proteinase K-treated bacterial lysates, analyses in which the antibody was shown to be highly specific for the homologous antigen. In addition, when tested in dot and Western blots, reactivity was observed with 9 of 18 Acinetobacter strains of genomic species 13TU which had been isolated in Germany and Denmark; no reactivity was observed with strains of other genomic species, including the closely related genomic groups 1 (A. calcoaceticus), 2 (A. baumannii), and 3 (unnamed), or with other gram-negative bacteria. The antibody described here represents a convenient reagent for the simple, economical, and accurate differentiation of clinical isolates of genomic species 13TU from other Acinetobacter strains. Although the antibody does not identify all isolates of this genomic group, it is evident that it will be a useful reagent in the development of a serotyping scheme for clinical laboratories.

Acinetobacter↗

Characterization of a novel branched tetrasaccharide of 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulopyranosonic acid. The structure of the carbohydrate backbone of the lipopolysaccharide from Acinetobacter baumannii strain nctc 10303 (atcc 17904).

For the first time, the tetrasaccharide Kdoalpha2-->5Kdoalpha2-->5(Kdoalpha2-->4)Kdo (Kdo is 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulopyranosonic acid) has been identified in a bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), i.e. in the core region of LPS from Acinetobacter baumannii NCTC 10303. The LPS was analyzed using compositional analysis, mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy. The disaccharide D-GlcpNbeta1-->6D-GlcpN, phosphorylated at O-1 and O-4', was identified as the carbohydrate backbone of the lipid A. The Kdo tetrasaccharide is attached to O-6' of this disaccharide and is further substituted by short L-rhamnoglycans of varying length and by the disaccharide D-GlcpNAcalpha1-->4D-GlcpNA (GlcpNA, 2-amino-2-deoxy-glucopyranosuronic acid). The core region is not substituted by phosphate residues and represents a novel core type of bacterial LPS. The complete carbohydrate backbone of the LPS is shown in Structure I as follows: where Rha is rhamnose. Except were indicated, monosaccharides possess the D-configuration. Sugars marked with an asterisk are present in non-stoichiometric amounts.

Acinetobacter calcoaceticus↗

Cloning and characterization of 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) transferase genes (kdtA) from Acinetobacter baumannii and Acinetobacter haemolyticus.

3-Deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) transferases (KdtA) are multifunctional glycosyltransferases with primary structures of low similarity. Totally degenerated primers were deduced from two stretches of identical amino acids between known KdtA sequences and used to amplify by PCR a kdtA-specific fragment from Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 15308 DNA which was then applied as a probe for the cloning and sequencing of the complete Kdo transferase gene. With conserved PCR primers for this structural gene from A. baumannii ATCC 15308, also kdtA genes of A. baumannii ATCC 19606 and A. haemolyticus ATCC 17906 were obtained, cloned from the chromosome and sequenced. The genes coded for proteins with similarities to known Kdo transferases. Within the genus Acinetobacter, the identity and similarity of the deduced amino acid sequences were 71% and 84.5%, respectively. The kdtA sequences of both A. baumannii strains were identical and possessed a TTG start codon, whereas ATG was found in the case of A. haemolyticus. The genes from Acinetobacter and kdtA from Escherichia coli K-12 were expressed in the Gram-positive bacterium Corynebacterium glutamicum. In vitro tests confirmed the function of the gene products as Kdo transferases, which transferred mainly two Kdo residues to a synthetic lipid A precursor of E. coli. Also, no differences between the cloned kdtA genes from A. baumanniii, A. haemnolyticus and E. coli were observed when tetraacyl or hexaacyl lipid A were tested, since all transferases acted more efficiently on the former. With limiting amounts of acceptor, all Kdo transferases were able to transfer a third Kdo residue with varying efficiency.

Acinetobacter↗

Identification of a novel heptoglycan of alpha1-->2-linked D-glycero-D-manno-heptopyranose. Chemical and antigenic structure of lipopolysaccharides from Klebsiella pneumoniae ssp. pneumoniae rough strain R20 (O1-:K20-).

In a preliminary investigation (Süsskind, M., Müller-Loennies, S., Nimmich, W., Brade, H., and Holst, O. (1995) Carbohydr. Res. 269, C1-C7), we identified after deacylation of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Klebsiella pneumoniae ssp. pneumoniae rough strain R20 (O1(-):K20(-)) as a major fraction the oligosaccharide,-structure; see text- where Kdo was 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulopyranosonic acid and Hepp was manno-heptopyranose. The presence of the threo-hex-4-enuronopyranosyl residue indicated a substituent at O-4 of the second GalA residue linked to O-3 of the second L,D-Hep residue, which had been eliminated by treatment with hot alkali. We now report the complete structure of lipopolysaccharide, which was elucidated by additional characterization of isolated core oligosaccharides and analysis of the lipid A. The substituent at O-4 of the second GalpA is D-GlcpN, which in a fraction of the LPS is substituted at O-6 by three or four residues of D-glycero-D-manno-heptopyranose (D,D-Hepp). The complete carbohydrate backbone of the LPS is as follows, -structure; see text- (L-glycero-D-manno-heptopyranose; L,D-Hepp), where all hexoses possess the D-configuration. Sugars marked with an asterisk are present in nonstoichiometric amounts. The structure is unique with regard to the presence of an alpha1-->2-linked D-glycero-D-manno-heptoglycan (oligosaccharide), which has not been described to date, and does not contain phosphate substituents in the core region. Fatty acid analysis of lipid A identified (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid as sole amide-linked fatty acid and (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, small amounts of 2-hydroxytetradecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, and traces of dodecanoic acid as ester-linked fatty acids, substituting the carbohydrate backbone D-GlcpN4Pbeta1-->6D-GlcpNalpha1P. The nonreducing GlcN carries four fatty acids, present as two 3-O-tetradecanoyltetradecanoic acid residues, one of which is amide-linked and the other ester-linked to O-3'. The reducing GlcN is substituted in a nature fraction of lipid A by two residues of (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid, one in amide and the other in ester linkage at O-3. Two minor fractions of lipid A were identified; in one, the amide-linked (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid at the reducing GlcN is esterified with hexadecanoic acid, resulting in 3-O-hexadecanoyltetradecanoic acid, and in the second, one of the 3-O-tetradecanoyltetradecanoic acid residues at the nonreducing GlcN is replaced by 3-O-dodecanoyltetradecanoic acid. Thus, the complete structure of LPS is as shown in Fig. 1. After immunization of BALB/c mice, two monoclonal antibodies were obtained that were shown to be specific for the core of LPS from K. pneumoniae ssp. pneumoniae, since they did not react with LPS or whole-cell lysates of a variety of other Gram-negative species. Both monoclonal antibodies could be inhibited by LPS but not by isolated oligosaccharides and are thus considered to recognize a conformational epitope in the core region.

Animals↗

Structural studies of the O-antigen isolated from the phenol-soluble lipopolysaccharide of Acinetobacter baumannii (DNA group 2) strain 9.

A polysaccharide containing D-GalNAc, D-Glc and 4-acetamido-4,6-dideoxy-D-glucose (Qui4NAc) was isolated from the phenol-soluble lipopolysaccharide originating from Acinetobacter baumannii strain 9. The structure of the repeating unit was shown by means of monosaccharide analyses, Smith-degradation, partial acid hydrolysis, mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy to be a branched pentasaccharide, in which the tetrasaccharide backbone is built from amino sugars only. [structure: see text] The polysaccharide was identified by serological and western blot analyses as the O-antigen of the lipopolysaccharide.

Acinetobacter↗