Biosynthesis of GDP-d-glycero-α-d-manno-heptose for the Capsular Polysaccharide of Campylobacter jejuni

The capsular polysaccharide (CPS) structure of Campylobacter jejuni contributes to its robust fitness. Many strains contain heptose moieties in their CPS units. The precursor heptose is GDP-d- glycero -α-d- manno -heptose; modifications to the stereochemistry at C3-C6 as well as additions of methyl and phosphoramidate groups lend to the hypervariability of the C. jejuni CPS structures. Synthesis of GDP-d- glycero -α-d- manno -heptose has been described previously, but using enzymes from Aneurinibacillus thermoaerophilus DSM 10155. Here we describe the complete synthesis of GDP-d- glycero -α-d- manno -heptose using enzymes from C. jejuni NTCC 11168: Cj1152 and Cj1423-Cj1425. Our results yield kinetic parameters for these enzymes and outline a successful strategy for milligram-gram scale synthesis of GDP-d- glycero -α-d- manno -heptose. This achievement is critical for the characterization of other carbohydrate tailoring enzymes, which are expected to utilize GDP-d- glycero -α-d- manno -heptose for the biosynthesis of more complex carbohydrates in the CPS of C. jejuni .