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PubMed1992

Core-lipid A on the K40 polysaccharide of Escherichia coli O8:K40:H9, a representative of group I capsular polysaccharides.

From the capsular K40 polysaccharide of E. coli O8:K40:H9, a fraction was obtained by gel permeation chromatography which in SDS-PAGE exhibited a ladder-like pattern characteristic of lipopolysaccharides. In Western blots, this fraction reacted with a K40-specific antiserum but not with an O8-specific antiserum. It contained, in addition to the constituents of the K40 polysaccharide (glucuronic acid, glucosamine and serine), glucose, galactose, heptose, and KDO. Mild acid hydrolysis of this fraction liberated a lipid moiety which by chemical analysis was characterized as lipid A. From these results, we conclude that the capsular polysaccharide of E. coli O8:K40:H9 is in part bound to core lipid A. The significance of this finding is discussed.

Bacterial Capsules↗

PubMed1994

Differentiation of selected members of the family Neisseriaceae (Alysiella, Eikenella, Kingella, Simonsiella and CDC groups EF-4 and M-5) by carbohydrate fingerprints and selected phenotypic features.

On the basis of nucleic acid relationships, the family Neisseriaceae consists of the genera Neisseria, Kingella, Simonsiella and of Alysiella filiformis, Eikenella corrodens, and the CDC groups EF-4 and M-5. Differentiation, especially of the new members of the family, by conventional phenotypic characteristics is difficult and in some cases leads to doubtful results. On the other hand, cellular components proved to be suitable for the characterization of bacterial taxa. We investigated the cellular carbohydrates derived from whole cell hydrolysates of the above mentioned taxa with the exception of Neisseria by gas chromatography/mass-spectrometry. The analysis revealed characteristic patterns for all taxa considered, although with some species of which only few strains were investigated so far only preliminary results could be established. With the method used, the carbohydrate analysis could be completed within six hours starting from a pure culture. All strains investigated exhibited a common pattern with ribose, arabinose, glucose, and galactose. Qualitative and quantitative differences in contents of fucose, sorbose, rhamnose, threose, heptose, galactosamine and an amino sugar similar to glucosamine discriminated members of the taxa investigated. To achieve a taxonomically precise differentiation of the species investigated by conventional phenotypic features as available in commercial rapid test kits, these tests should be completed by the carbohydrate analysis technique presented.

Carbohydrates↗

PubMed1992

Structural characterization of the cell surface lipooligosaccharides from a nontypable strain of Haemophilus influenzae.

Oligosaccharides released from the lipooligosaccharides (LOS) of Haemophilus influenzae nontypable strain 2019 by mild acid hydrolysis were fractionated by size exclusion chromatography and analyzed by liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry. The major component of the heterogeneous mixture was found to be a hexasaccharide of Mr 1366, which lost two phosphoethanolamine groups upon treatment with 48% aqueous HF. The dephosphorylated hexasaccharide was purified and shown by tandem mass spectrometry, composition analysis, methylation analysis, and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance studies to be Gal beta 1----4Glc beta 1----(Hep alpha 1----2Hep alpha 1----3) 4Hep alpha 1----5anhydro-KDO, where Hep is L-glycero-D-manno-heptose and KDO is 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid. An analogous structure containing authentic KDO was generated from LOS that had been HF-treated prior to acetic acid hydrolysis, suggesting that the reducing terminal anhydro-KDO moiety is produced as an artifact of the hydrolysis procedure by beta-elimination of a phosphate substituent from C-4 of KDO. Mass spectral analyses of O-deacylated LOS and free lipid A confirmed that, in addition to the two phosphoethanolamines on the oligosaccharide and two phosphates on the lipid A, another phosphate group exists on the KDO. This KDO does not appear to be further substituted with additional KDO residues in intact H. influenzae 2019 LOS. The terminal disaccharide epitope, Gal beta 1----4Glc beta 1----, of the hexasaccharide is also present on lactosylceramide, a precursor to human blood group antigens. It is postulated that the presence of this structure on H. influenzae LOS may represent a form of host mimicry by the pathogen.

Antigens, Bacterial↗

PubMed1994

General strategy for structural analysis of the oligosaccharide region of lipooligosaccharides. Structure of the oligosaccharide component of Pseudomonas aeruginosa IATS serotype 06 mutant R5 rough-type lipopolysaccharide.

A general NMR-based strategy for the structural analysis of rough-type lipopolysaccharides, i.e., lipooligosaccharides, is introduced that involves initial deacylation of the glycolipids. The approach is illustrated here with the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa serotype 06 rough-type mutant R5, which consists of a single major low molecular weight component. The LOS was isolated by using a modified phenol/chloroform/petroleum ether extraction method. Chemical analysis of the core oligosaccharide obtained from this LOS indicated that it was composed of D-glucose (D-Glc), 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-galactose (D-GalN), L-glycero-D-manno-heptose (L,D-Hep), 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid (KDO), L-alanine (Ala), and phosphate. The glycan structure of the LOS was elucidated by employing a novel strategy that involved the use of one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance techniques and mass spectrometric based methods on the backbone oligosaccharide obtained from the LOS by deacylation, dephosphorylation, and reduction of the terminal glucosamine. The location of phosphomonoester groups was unambiguously established by a 2D 1H-31P chemical shift correlation experiments on an O-deacylated sample of the LOS (LOS-OH). The LOS-OH carries amide-linked 3-hydroxydodecanoic acid groups and Ala on the two D-glucosamine residues and the D-galactosamine residue, respectively.

Antigens, Bacterial↗

PubMed2005

Temperature-dependent variations and intraspecies diversity of the structure of the lipopolysaccharide of Yersinia pestis.

Yersinia pestis spread throughout the Americas in the early 20th century, and it occurs predominantly as a single clone within this part of the world. However, within Eurasia and parts of Africa there is significant diversity among Y. pestis strains, which can be classified into different biovars (bv.) and/or subspecies (ssp.), with bv. orientalis/ssp. pestis most closely related to the American clone. To determine one aspect of the relatedness of these different Y. pestis isolates, the structure of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of four wild-type and one LPS-mutant Eurasian/African strains of Y. pestis was determined, evaluating effects of growth at mammalian (37 degrees C) or flea (25 degrees C) temperatures on the structure and composition of the core oligosaccharide and lipid A. In the wild-type clones of ssp. pestis, a single major core glycoform was synthesized at 37 degrees C whereas multiple core oligosaccharide glycoforms were produced at 25 degrees C. Structural differences occurred primarily in the terminal monosaccharides. Only tetraacyl lipid A was made at 37 degrees C, whereas at 25 degrees C additional pentaacyl and hexaacyl lipid A structures were produced. 4-Amino-4-deoxyarabinose levels in lipid A increased with lower growth temperatures or when bacteria were cultured in the presence of polymyxin B. In Y. pestis ssp. caucasica, the LPS core lacked D-glycero-D-manno-heptose and the content of 4-amino-4-deoxyarabinose showed no dependence on growth temperature, whereas the degree of acylation of the lipid A and the structure of the oligosaccharide core were temperature dependent. A spontaneous deep-rough LPS mutant strain possessed only a disaccharide core and a slightly variant lipid A. The diversity and differences in the structure of the Y. pestis LPS suggest important contributions of these variations to the pathogenesis of this organism, potentially related to innate and acquired immune recognition of Y. pestis and epidemiologic means to detect, classify, control and respond to Y. pestis infections.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

PubMed1996

Lipopolysaccharides of Helicobacter pylori strains P466 and MO19: structures of the O antigen and core oligosaccharide regions.

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from phenol-water extraction of dyspeptic (P466) and asymptomatic (MO19) strains of Helicobacter pylori were each isolated as water-soluble material of high relative molecular mass (high M(r)) and as water-insoluble gels of low M(r). Chemical and spectroscopic analyses of the soluble LPS and oligosaccharides liberated from the water-insoluble gels led to proposed structures for chains comprising the O antigen, intervening, and core regions. As in the LPS from the type strain NCTC 11637 [Aspinall, G. O., et al. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 2489-2497], the O antigen region of the P466 LPS is characterized by the presence of extended chains with fucosylated and nonfucosylated N-acetyllactosamine units, the former carrying alpha-L-fucopyranose units at O-3 of beta-D-GlcNAc residues. This structure differs from that of the type strain in termination of the O chain by a Lewis(y) (Le(y)) antigenic determinant [alpha-L-Fuc(1-->2)beta-D-Gal(1-->4)[alpha-L-Fuc(1-->3)]beta-D-GlcNAc] but also has internal Lewis(x) (Le(x)) units. The inner core region of the P466 LPS is indistinguishable from that in the type strain. In contrast, the O antigen region of the LPS from strain MO19 consists of a single Le(y) epitope linked via a 3-linked beta-D-Gal to an intervening region on the basis of a sequence of 3-linked D-glycero-alpha-D-manno-heptose residues which is in turn linked to an inner core identical to that in the type strain and the P466 strain. Results in this and the preceding paper show that LPS from the three H. pylori strains display molecular mimicry of human cell surface glycoconjugates but may vary in the expression of Le(x) or Le(y) determinants, the degree of O antigen chain extension, or in the presence of an additional region between the inner core and the O antigen.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

PubMed2001

Characterization of the lipopolysaccharide and structure of the O-specific polysaccharide of the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. atrofaciens IMV 948.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was isolated from the phytopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. atrofaciens IMV 948 by mild extraction of the microbial cells with saline, and the properties, composition, and structure of the LPS were studied. The LPS showed low toxicity in D- galactosamine-sensitized mice and low biological activity in plants. Structural components of LPS--lipid A, core oligosaccharide, and O-specific polysaccharide (OPS)--were obtained by mild acid degradation and characterized. The lipid A contained fatty acids 3-HO-C10:0, C12:0, 2-HO-C12:0, 3-HO-C12:0, C16:0, C16:1, C18:0, and C18:1, as well as components of the hydrophilic moiety: GlcN, ethanolamine, phosphate, and phosphoethanolamine. The LPS core contained components typical of pseudomonads: glucose, rhamnose (Rha), L-glycero-D-manno-heptose, GlcN, GalN, 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-manno-octonic acid, alanine, and phosphate. The OPS consisted of L-Rha and D-GlcNAc in the ratio 4 : 1 and was structurally heterogeneous. The main pentasaccharide repeating unit of the OPS has the following structure: [structure see text]. Immunochemical studies showed that P. syringae pv. atrofaciens IMV 948 is serologically separate from other P. syringae strains, including those that have structurally similar OPS.

Chromatography, Gel↗

PubMed2001

Effects of D-mannoheptulose upon D-glucose metabolism in tumoral pancreatic islet cells.

D-[3H]mannoheptulose was recently reported to be poorly taken up by tumoral pancreatic islet cells of the RINm5F and INS-1 lines. We have now investigated the effects of D-mannoheptulose upon D-glucose metabolism in these two cell lines. D-mannoheptulose (1.0-10.0 mM) only caused a minor decrease of D-glucose metabolism in RINm5F cells, whether at low (1.1 mM) or higher (8.3 mM) D-glucose concentration. A comparable situation was found in INS-1 cells examined after more than 20 passages. In both cases, however, the hexaacetate ester of D-mannoheptulose (5.0 mM) efficiently inhibited D-glucose metabolism. In the INS-1 cells, the relative extent of the inhibitory action of D-mannoheptulose upon D-glucose metabolism increased from 12.4 +/- 2.6 to 38.3 +/- 3.8% as the number of passages was decreased from more than 20 to 13-15 passages, the latter percentage remaining lower, however, than that recorded in INS-I cells also examined after 13-15 passages but exposed to D-mannoheptulose hexaacetate (66.9 +/- 2.2%). These findings when compared to our recent measurements of D-[3H]mannoheptulose uptake, reinforce the view that the entry of the heptose into cells and, hence, its inhibitory action on D-glucose metabolism are dictated by expression of the GLUT2 gene.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Elucidation of the structure of the lipopolysaccharide core and the linkage between the core and the O-antigen in Pseudomonas aeruginosa immunotype 5 using strong alkaline degradation of the lipopolysaccharide.

The products of the strong alkaline degradation of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa immunotype 5 were separated by anion-exchange HPLC and studied by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. It was found that two major products have the same inner core region and lipid A carbohydrate backbone (A) but different outer core regions (B and C). The difference is in the position of a rhamnose residue, which is substituted with either an additional glucose residue (B) or a disaccharide remainder of the degraded O-polysaccharide (C). The site and the configuration of the linkage between the O-polysaccharide and the core were determined and, together with published data, the structure of the so-called biological repeating unit of the O-antigen was defined (D). The glycosidic linkage of the quinovosamine residue is beta when it links the O-polysaccharide to the core (C) and alpha when it connects the interior repeating units of the O-polysaccharide to each other (D) [Formula: see text]. In the structures shown Rha stands for rhamnose, Kdo for 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid, Hep for L-glycero-D-manno-heptose, GalNAcA for 2-acetamido-2-deoxygalacturonic acid, QuiN for 2-amino-2,6-dideoxyglucose (quinovosamine), DeltaHexNA for 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-threo-hex-4-enuronic acid; all monosaccharides are in the pyranose form and have the D configuration, except for Rha and GalNAcA that have the L configuration. In C, the remainder of the degraded O-polysaccharide is shown in bold type.

Acetylglucosamine↗

PubMed1999

Isolation and chemical analysis of a lipopolysaccharide from the outer membrane of the oral anaerobic spirochete Treponema pectinovorum.

Isolation of a putative lipopolysaccharide from the surface of the oral treponeme, Treponema pectinovorum, revealed it to contain larger amounts of 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid compared with other oral Treponema species. This molecule was isolated from the outer membrane of T. pectinovorum and had chemical characteristics of a putative lipopolysaccharide. The yield of lipopolysaccharide was between 0.6% and to 1.1% of the bacterial dry weight. The purified molecule was resistant to the action of proteinases and consisted of both sugars and lipids. 3-Deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid and hexoses accounted for 6.1-8.7% and 17.6-20.2%, respectively of the dry weight. Carbohydrate compositional analysis revealed the presence of glucose, galactose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-glucose, rhamnose and 6-deoxy-talose in the molar ratio of 1.00:0.96:0.19:0.88:0.98, respectively. No heptose was detected. The fatty acid analysis determined the presence of straight chain, C13:00, C14:00, C15:00 and C17:00 acids, as well as branched chain, C13:00, C14:00 and two species of C15:00, acids. Electrophoretic analysis indicated that the lipopolysaccharide was present as two major species.

Cell Membrane↗

PubMed1965

Studies on the structure of lipopolysaccharides of Salmonella minnesota and Salmonella typhimurium R strains.

1. The composition of the lipopolysaccharides and the corresponding lipid-free polysaccharides from four R-mutants of Salmonella has been studied. All the lipopolysaccharides, from RI and RII serotypes contained d-glucose, d-galactose, heptose, N-acetylglucosamine and 3-deoxy-2-oxo-octonate. The polysaccharide obtained from the RII lipopolysaccharides also contained all these sugars. The polysaccharides from RI lipopolysaccharides lacked N-acetylglucosamine. 2. From partial hydrolysates of the lipopolysaccharides, a number of oligosaccharides have been isolated and partially characterized. Oligosaccharides containing N-acetylglucosamine or glucosamine were obtained only from RII lipopolysaccharides. Several oligosaccharides composed of glucose and galactose were common to RI and RII preparations. 3. A structural unit, based on the oligosaccharides found, is proposed for the RII lipopolysaccharide. It contains the sequence: alpha-N-acetylglucosaminyl- alpha-glucosyl-alpha-galactosyl-glucosyl.... A second alpha-galactosyl residue is bound to position 6 of the last glucosyl group. The complete unit is believed to to be attached to a polyheptose phosphate backbone in the RII antigen. 4. The RI lipopolysaccharide of Salmonella minnesota contains an analogous structure lacking the terminal N-acetylglucosamine residue. 5. A basal structure common to the lipopolysaccharides of several Salmonella species is proposed.

Chemical Phenomena↗

PubMed1966

Chemical and biological properties of an extracellular lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli grown under lysine-limiting conditions.

Lipopolysaccharide was prepared from the extracellular lipoglycopeptide produced by the lysine-requiring mutant Escherichia coli A.T.C.C. 12408 grown under lysine-limiting conditions. The lipid moiety, containing glucosamine phosphate and four fatty acids (lauric acid, myristic acid, beta-hydroxymyristic acid and palmitic acid) corresponded in composition to lipid A of known bacterial lipopolysaccharides. The components of the polysaccharide moiety were d-glucose, d-galactose, l-glycero-d-manno-heptose, 3-deoxy-2-oxo-octonic acid, ethanolamine and phosphate. These are the constituents of the polysaccharide of the cell-wall antigens from rough strains of E. coli. Lipopolysaccharides were also prepared from whole cells of E. coli 12408 grown with excess or limited amounts of lysine; they were identical in carbohydrate composition with the extracellular lipopolysaccharide. The biological properties of this material also resembled those of known lipopolysaccharides; it was antigenic, pyrogenic, toxic and had adjuvant activity.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Interaction between complement subcomponent C1q and bacterial lipopolysaccharides.

The heptose-less mutant of Escherichia coli, D31m4, bound complement subcomponent C1q and its collagen-like fragments (C1qCLF) with Ka values of 1.4 x 10(8) and 2.0 x 10(8) M-1 respectively. This binding was suppressed by chemical modification of C1q and C1qCLF using diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEPC). To investigate the role of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in this binding, biosynthetically labelled [14C]LPS were purified from E. coli D31m4 and incorporated into liposomes prepared from phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) [PC/PE/LPS, 2:2:1, by wt.]. Binding of C1q or its collagen-like fragments to the liposomes was estimated via a flotation test. These liposomes bound C1q and C1qCLF with Ka values of 8.0 x 10(7) and 2.0 x 10(7) M-1; this binding was totally inhibited after chemical modification of C1q and C1qCLF by DEPC. Liposomes containing LPS purified from the wild-strain E. coli K-12 S also bound C1q and C1qCLF, whereas direct binding of C1q or C1qCLF to the bacteria was negligible. Diamines at concentrations which dissociate C1 into C1q and (C1r, C1s)2, strongly inhibited the interaction of C1q or C1qCLF with LPS. Removal of 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid (2-keto-3-deoxyoctonic acid; KDO) from E. coli D31m4 LPS decreases the binding of C1qCLF to the bacteria by 65%. When this purified and modified LPS was incorporated into liposomes, the C1qCLF binding was completely abolished. These results show: (i) the essential role of the collagen-like moiety and probably its histidine residues in the interaction between C1q and the mutant D31m4; (ii) the contribution of LPS, particularly the anionic charges of KDO, to this interaction.

Acetates↗

PubMed2001

Structural analysis of the lipopolysaccharide from the nontypable Haemophilus influenzae strain SB 33.

The structure of the core region of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the nontypable Haemophilus influenzae strain SB 33 was elucidated. The LPS was subjected to a variety of degradative procedures. The structures of the derived oligosaccharide products were established by monosaccharide and methylation analyses, NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. These analyses revealed a series of related phosphocholine (PCho) containing structures differing in the number of hexose residues. The results pointed to each species containing a conserved phosphoethanolamine (PEtn) substituted heptose-containing trisaccharide inner-core moiety. The major LPS glycoforms were identified as 2-Hex, 3-Hex and 4-Hex species according to the number of hexose residues present.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

PubMed2002

Structural analysis of the lipopolysaccharide from nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae strain 1003.

Structural analysis of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae strain 1003 has been achieved by the application of high-field NMR techniques, ESI-MS, capillary electrophoresis coupled to ESI-MS, composition and linkage analyses on O-deacylated LPS and core oligosaccharide material. It was found that the LPS contains the common structural element of H. influenzae, l-alpha-D-Hepp-(1-->2)-[PEtn-->6]-l-alpha-D-Hepp-(1-->3)-[beta-D-Glcp-(1-->4)]-l-alpha-D-Hepp-(1-->5)-[PP Etn-->4]-alpha-Kdop-(2-->6)-Lipid A, in which the beta-D-Glcp residue is substituted by phosphocholine at O-6 and an acetyl group at O-4. A second acetyl group is located at O-3 of the distal heptose residue (HepIII). HepIII is chain elongated at O-2 by either a beta-D-Glcp residue (major), lactose or sialyllactose (minor, i.e. alpha-Neu5Ac-(2-->3)-beta-D-Galp-(1-->4)-beta-D-Glcp), where a third minor acetylation site was identified at the glucose residue. Disialylated species were also detected. In addition, a minor substitution of ester-linked glycine at HepIII and Kdo was observed.

Acetylation↗

PubMed1999

Biofilm formation by Helicobacter pylori.

Helicobacter pylori NCTC 11637 produces a water-insoluble biofilm when grown under defined conditions with a high carbon:nitrogen ratio in continuous culture and in 10% strength Brucella broth supplemented with 3 g l-1 glucose. Biofilm accumulated at the air/liquid interface of the culture. Light microscopy of frozen sections of the biofilm material showed few bacterial cells in the mass of the biofilm. The material stained with periodic acid Schiff's reagent. Fucose, glucose, galactose, and glycero-manno-heptose, N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylmuramic acid were identified in partially purified and in crude material, using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The sugar composition strongly indicates the presence of a polysaccharide as a component of the biofilm material. Antibodies (IgG) to partially purified material were found in both sero-positive and sero-negative individuals. Treatment of the biofilm material with periodic acid reduced or abolished immunoreactivity. Treatment with 5 mol l-1 urea at 100 degrees C and with phenol did not remove antigenic recognition by patient sera. The production of a water-insoluble biofilm by H. pylori may be important in enhancing resistance to host defence factors and antibiotics, and in microenvironmental pH homeostasis facilitating the growth and survival of H. pylori in vivo.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1996

A genetic approach for analysing surface-exposed regions of the OmpC protein of Escherichia coli K-12.

Phage attachment sites on bacterial cell surfaces are provided by the exposed regions of outer membrane proteins and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We have identified surface exposed residues of OmpC that are important for phage binding. This was accomplished by employing a genetic scheme in which two simultaneous selections enriched for ompC mutants defective in phage attachment, but retained functional channels. Mutational alterations were clustered in three regions of the OmpC protein. These regions also showed the greatest divergence from the analogous regions of the highly related OmpF and PhoE proteins. The majority of alterations (8 out of 11) occurred in a region of OmpC that is predicted to form a large exterior loop (loop 4). Interestingly, while the removal of this loop prevented phage binding, the deletion conferred enhanced channel activities. Another type of phage-resistant mutants synthesized defective LPS molecules. Biochemical analysis of mutant LPS revealed it to be of the Re-type LPS, lacking the heptose moieties from the LPS inner core. As a result of this LPS defect, many outer membrane proteins were present in somewhat reduced levels. The phage resistance seen in these mutants could be a result of both the presence of defective LPS and reduced OmpC levels.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1996

Identification of a locus involved in meningococcal lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis by deletion mutagenesis.

A novel method for insertion/deletion mutagenesis in meningococci was devised. This consisted of ligating a digest of total chromosomal DNA to a 1.1 kb restriction fragment containing an erythromycin-resistance marker (ermC), and subsequent transformation of the ligation mixture into the homologous meningococcal strain H44/76. Southern blotting of a number of the resulting erythromycin-resistant transformants demonstrated that all carried the ermC gene inserted at different positions in the chromosome. Mutants with a specific phenotype were identified by screening with the anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) monoclonal antibody MN4A8B2, which is specific for immunotype L3. In this way, two independent L3-negative mutant strains were isolated. In transformation experiments with chromosomal DNA from these mutants, erythromycin-resistance and lack of MN4A8B2 reactivity were always linked, showing that the insertion/deletion was in a locus involved in LPS biosynthesis. On SDS-PAGE, the mutant LPS displayed an electrophoretic mobility intermediate between that produced by the previously isolated galE and rfaF mutant strains. Chemical analysis of the mutant LPS revealed that the structure was probably lipid A-(KDO)2-(Hep)2. Chromosomal DNA flanking the ermC insertion in these two mutant strains was cloned, and used as probe for the isolation of the corresponding region of the wild-type strain. From hybridization and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, it could be concluded that both mutations map to the same locus. The affected gene probably encodes the glycosyltransferase necessary for adding N-acetylglucosamine to heptose.

Animals↗