scholarly journals The capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 8: functional identification of the glycosyltransferase WciS (Cap8H)

2005 ◽  
Vol 389 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nehmé SAKSOUK ◽  
Ludovic PELOSI ◽  
Pierre COLIN-MOREL ◽  
Manel BOUMEDIENNE ◽  
Patricia L. ABDIAN ◽  
...  

CPS (capsular polysaccharide) is a major virulence factor in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Biosynthesis of CPS RU (repeat unit) proceeds by sequential transfer of sugar residues from the appropriate sugar donor to an activated lipid carrier by committed GTs (glycosyltransferases). While the nucleotide sequence of many cps loci is already known, the real substrate specificity of the hypothetical GTs, as well as the sequence of sugar addition is unclear. In the present paper, we report the biochemical characterization of one α-galactosyltransferase, WciS (Cap8H), a member of GT family 4. This enzyme is implicated in the tetrasaccharide RU biosynthetic pathway of Strep. pneumoniae CPS 8 ([→4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→4)-α-D-Galp-(1→4)-β-D-GlcAp-(1→4)-β-D-Glcp-(1→]n). Expression of WciS–His6 in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) strains or BL21 (DE3)/ΔgalU strain resulted in synthesis of a 39 kDa membrane-associated protein identified by N-terminal sequencing and recognized by anti-His6-tag antibody. This protein was capable of adding a galactose residue cellobiuronic acid [β-D-GlcAp-(1→4)-D-Glcp]-pyrophosphate-polyprenol from UDP-Gal. The newly added galactose residue is removed by α-galactosidase, indicating that WciS is a retaining GT. Our results suggest that WciS catalyses the addition of the third sugar residue of the CPS 8 RU. The recombinant WciS–His6 was solubilized and purified as a soluble multimer, opening the way for structural studies.

2015 ◽  
Vol 197 (17) ◽  
pp. 2762-2769 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Allen Bush ◽  
John O. Cisar ◽  
Jinghua Yang

ABSTRACTThe structures ofStreptococcus pneumoniaecapsular polysaccharides (CPSs) are essential for defining the antigenic as well as genetic relationships between CPS serotypes. The four serotypes that comprise CPS serogroup 35 (i.e., types 35F, 35A, 35B, and 35C) are known to cross-react with genetically related type 20, 29, 34, 42, or 47F. While the structures of CPS serotype 35A (CPS35A) and CPS35B are known, those of CPS35F and CPS35C are not. In the present study, the serotypes of CPS35F and CPS35C were characterized by high-resolution heteronuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and glycosyl composition analyses to reveal the following repeat unit structures:where OAc indicates O-acetylated. Importantly, CPS35F, the immunizing serotype for the production of group 35 serum, more closely resembles CPS34 and CPS47F than other members of serogroup 35. Moreover, CPS35C is distinct from either CPS35F or CPS35B but closely related to CPS35A and identical to de-O-acetylated CPS42. The findings provide a comprehensive view of the structural and genetic relations that exist between the members of CPS serogroup 35 and other cross-reactive serotypes.IMPORTANCECross-reactions of diagnostic rabbit antisera withStreptococcus pneumoniaecapsular polysaccharide serotypes are generally limited to members of the same serogroup. Exceptions do, however, occur, most notably among a group of nonvaccine serotypes that includes the members of serogroup 35 (i.e., types 35F, 35A, 35B, and 35C) and other genetically related types. The presently determined structures ofS. pneumoniaeserotypes 35F and 35C complete the structural characterization of serogroup 35 and thereby provide the first comprehensive description of how different members of this serogroup are related to each other and to types 29, 34, 42, and 47F. The structural and genetic features of these serotypes suggest the existence of three distinct capsular polysaccharide subgroups that presumably emerged by immune selection in the human host.


1998 ◽  
Vol 188 (11) ◽  
pp. 2047-2056 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Mollerach ◽  
Rubens López ◽  
Ernesto García

The galU gene of Streptococcus pneumoniae has been cloned and sequenced. Escherichia coli cells harboring the recombinant plasmid pMMG2 (galU) overproduced a protein that has been shown to correspond to a uridine 5′-triphosphate:glucose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase (uridine diphosphoglucose [UDP-Glc] pyrophosphorylase) responsible for the synthesis of UDP-Glc, a key compound in the biosynthesis of polysaccharides. A gene very similar to the S. pneumoniae galU has been found in a partial nucleotide sequence of the Streptococcus pyogenes genome. Knockout galU mutants of type 1 pneumococci are unable to synthesize a detectable capsule. An identical result was found in type 3 S. pneumoniae cells in spite of the fact that these bacteria contain a type-specific gene (cap3C) that also encodes a UDP-Glc pyrophosphorylase. Since eukaryotic UDP-Glc pyrophosphorylases appear to be completely unrelated to their prokaryotic counterparts, we postulate that GalU may be an appropriate target for the search of new drugs to control the pathogenicity of bacteria like pneumococcus and S. pyogenes.


1995 ◽  
Vol 181 (3) ◽  
pp. 973-983 ◽  
Author(s):  
J P Dillard ◽  
M W Vandersea ◽  
J Yother

The capsular polysaccharide is the major virulence factor of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Previously, we identified and cloned a region from the S. pneumoniae chromosome specific for the production of type 3 capsular polysaccharide. Now, by sequencing the region and characterizing mutations genetically and in an in vitro capsule synthesis assay, we have assigned putative functions to the products of the type-specific genes. Using DNA from the right end of the region in mapping studies, we have obtained further evidence indicating that the capsule genes of each serotype are contained in a gene cassette located adjacent to this region. We have cloned the region flanking the left end of the cassette from the type 3 chromosome and have found that it is repeated in the S. pneumoniae chromosome. The DNA sequence and hybridization data suggest a model for recombination of the capsule gene cassettes that not only describes the replacement of capsule genes, but also suggests an explanation for binary capsule type formation, and the creation of novel capsule types.


1999 ◽  
Vol 181 (17) ◽  
pp. 5355-5364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy K. Morona ◽  
Renato Morona ◽  
James C. Paton

ABSTRACT The genetic basis for the structural diversity of capsule polysaccharide (CPS) in Streptococcus pneumoniae serogroup 19 (consisting of types 19F, 19A, 19B, and 19C) has been determined for the first time. In this study, the genetic basis for the 19A and 19C serotypes is described, and the structures of all four serogroup 19cps loci and their flanking sequences are compared. Transformation studies show that the structural difference between the 19A and 19F CPSs is likely to be a consequence of differences between their respective polysaccharide polymerase genes (cps19aIand cps19fI). The CPS of type 19C differs from that of type 19B by the addition of glucose. We have identified a single gene difference between the two cps loci (cps19cS), which is likely to encode a glucosyl transferase. The arrangement of the genes within the cps19 loci is highly conserved, with 13 genes (cps19A to -H and cps19Kto -O) common to all four serogroup 19 members. Thesecps genes encode functions required for the synthesis of the shared trisaccharide component of the group 19 CPS repeat unit structures. Furthermore, the genetic differences between the group 19cps loci identified are consistent with the CPS structures of the individual serotypes. Functions have been assigned to nearly all of the cps19 gene products, based on either gene complementation or similarity to other proteins with known functions, and putative biosynthetic pathways for production of all four group 19 CPSs have been proposed.


2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (7) ◽  
pp. 2590-2598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerstin Steiner ◽  
René Novotny ◽  
Kinnari Patel ◽  
Evgenij Vinogradov ◽  
Chris Whitfield ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe glycan chain of the S-layer glycoprotein ofGeobacillus stearothermophilusNRS 2004/3a is composed of repeating units [→2)-α-l-Rhap-(1→3)-β-l-Rhap-(1→2)-α-l-Rhap-(1→], with a 2-O-methyl modification of the terminal trisaccharide at the nonreducing end of the glycan chain, a core saccharide composed of two or three α-l-rhamnose residues, and a β-d-galactose residue as a linker to the S-layer protein. In this study, we report the biochemical characterization of WsaP of the S-layer glycosylation gene cluster as a UDP-Gal:phosphoryl-polyprenol Gal-1-phosphate transferase that primes the S-layer glycoprotein glycan biosynthesis ofGeobacillus stearothermophilusNRS 2004/3a. Our results demonstrate that the enzyme transfers in vitro a galactose-1-phosphate from UDP-galactose to endogenous phosphoryl-polyprenol and that the C-terminal half of WsaP carries the galactosyltransferase function, as already observed for the UDP-Gal:phosphoryl-polyprenol Gal-1-phosphate transferase WbaP fromSalmonella enterica. To confirm the function of the enzyme, we show that WsaP is capable of reconstituting polysaccharide biosynthesis in WbaP-deficient strains ofEscherichia coliandSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium.


Author(s):  
I. V. Yakovleva ◽  
E. A. Kurbatova ◽  
E. A. Akhmatova ◽  
E. V. Sukhova ◽  
D. V. Yashunsky ◽  
...  

Aim. Production of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to synthetic tetrasaccharide - repeating unit of the capsular polysaccharide (CP) of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 14 and their immunochemical characterization. Materials and methods. In order to generate the hybridoma producing mAb, mice were immunized with synthetic tetrasaccharide conjugated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) with following hybridization of B lymphocytes with mouse myeloma cells. Antibodies were obtained in vitro andin vivo. Immunochemical characterization of mAb to tetrasaccharide was carried out using a variety of ELISA options. Results. For the first time obtained mouse hybridoma, producing IgM to tetrasacchride. The IgM titer of anti-tetrasacharide antibodies in supernatants of clones and in the ascitic fluid of mice in ELISA detected by biotinylated tetrasaccharide and synthetic CP adsorbed on the solid phase was higher compared to the use of bacterial CP as well cover antigen. In the reaction of inhibition of the ELISA, the mAb recognized the corresponding carbohydrate epitopes of the bacterial CP of S. pneumoniae serotype 14 dissolved in the liquid phase better than tetrasaccharide ligand and synthetic CP. Conclusion. To detect mAb to tetrasaccharide in ELISA preferably to use synthetic analogues of the CP as solid phase antigens. The obtained mAb to tetrasaccharide can be used to determine the representation of the protective tetrasaccharide epitope of CP in the development of pneumococcal vaccines.


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