Open AccessSynthesis of mono‐ and di‐fucosylated type I Lewis blood group antigens by Helicobacter pylori
Author(s) -
Rasko David A.,
Wang Ge,
Monteiro Mario A.,
Palcic Monica M.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
european journal of biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1432-1033
pISSN - 0014-2956
DOI - 10.1046/j.1432-1327.2000.01683.x
Subject(s) - helicobacter pylori , enzyme , antigen , biology , cloning (programming) , biosynthesis , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , chemistry , genetics , computer science , programming language
The identification of Helicobacter pylori isolates that expresses exclusively type I Lewis antigens is necessary to determine the biosynthetic pathway of these antigens. Fast‐atom bombardment MS provides evidence that the H. pylori isolate UA1111 expresses predominantly Le b , with H type I and Le a in lesser amounts. Cloning and expression of the H. pylori fucosyltransferases (FucTs) allow comparisons with previously identified H. pylori enzymes and determination of the enzyme specificities. Although all FucTs, one α(1,2) FucT and two α(1,3/4) FucTs, appear to be functional in this isolate, their activities are lower and enzyme specificities are different to other H. pylori FucTs previously characterized. Studies of the cloned enzyme activities and mutational analysis indicate that Le a acts as the substrate for the synthesis of Le b . This is different from the human Le b biosynthetic pathway, but analogous to the biosynthetic pathway utilized by H. pylori for the production of Le y .