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Glycobiology Advance Access published online on March 24, 2004
Glycobiology, doi:10.1093/glycob/cwh074
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Submitted on January 8, 2004
Revised on February 19, 2004
Accepted on March 4, 2004

© 2004 Glycobiology © Oxford University Press 2004; all rights reserved.

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Characterization of the {alpha}-1,2-N-acetyl-glucosaminyltransferase of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a key control point in lipooligosaccharride biosynthesis

Warren Wakarchuk 1*, Melissa J. Schur 1, Frank St. Michael 1, Jinjuan Li 1, Eva Eichler 1, and Dennis Whitfield 1

1 National Research Council of Canada, Institute for Biological Sciences, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: warren.wakarchuk{at}nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.

Abstract

The biosynthesis of the lipooligosaccharide in Neisseria meningitidis has a control point that regulates the extension of the alpha-chain on heptose (I) of the lipooligosaccharide. The gene which encodes the protein responsible for this control had been identified (Kahler, C. M., Carlson, R. W., Rahman, M. M., Martin, L. E., and Stephens, D. S. (1996) J.Bacteriol. 178, 6677-6684) but the enzyme encoded by the gene was not characterized. We have now shown that this same control mechanism operates in the related species, N. gonorrhoeae using a gene knock out, and subsequent characterization of the lipooligosaccharide species produced. We have also cloned and expressed the enzyme from both of these pathogens. Using a synthetic acceptor substrate we have shown unequivocally that the enzyme is an {alpha}-1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase. Experiments with both the core oligosaccharide and the synthetic acceptors suggests that the addition of the {alpha}-1,2-N-acetylglucosamine moiety on the heptose (II) residue precedes the addition of the ethanolamine phosphate at the O3 position on this heptose (II), and that in the absence of the {alpha}-1,2-N-acetylglucosamine moiety leads to the addition of an extra ethanolamine phosphate on the heptose (II) residue. Our data does not support the hypothesis that ethanolamine phosphate at O3 of heptose (II) is added and is then required for the addition of the N-acetylglucosamine at O2 by the LgtK enzyme. This enzyme represents a control point in the biosynthesis of the LOS of this pathogen and is a potential target for therapeutic intervention.


glycosyltransferase, lipooligosaccharide, Neisseria
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