Open AccessFunctional Identification of the Proteus mirabilis Core Lipopolysaccharide Biosynthesis Genes
Author(s) -
Eleonora Aquilini,
Joana Azevedo,
Natàlia Jiménez,
Lamiaa Bouamama,
Juan M. Tomás,
Miguel Regué
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.652
H-Index - 246
eISSN - 1067-8832
pISSN - 0021-9193
DOI - 10.1128/jb.00494-10
Subject(s) - proteus mirabilis , complementation , biology , gene , klebsiella pneumoniae , mutant , gene cluster , microbiology and biotechnology , proteus , genetics , homology (biology) , structural gene , escherichia coli
In this study, we report the identification of genes required for the biosynthesis of the core lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) of two strains ofProteus mirabilis . SinceP .mirabilis andKlebsiella pneumoniae share a core LPS carbohydrate backbone extending up to the second outer-core residue, the functions of the commonP .mirabilis genes was elucidated by genetic complementation studies using well-defined mutants ofK .pneumoniae . The functions of strain-specific outer-core genes were identified by using as surrogate acceptors LPSs from two well-definedK .pneumoniae core LPS mutants. This approach allowed the identification of two new heptosyltransferases (WamA and WamC), a galactosyltransferase (WamB), and anN -acetylglucosaminyltransferase (WamD). In both strains, most of these genes were found in the so-calledwaa gene cluster, although one common core biosynthetic gene (wabO ) was found outside this cluster.