Structural studies of the O-antigen from Vibrio cholerae O:21

Structural insights into RbmA, a biofilm scaffolding protein of V. cholerae

V. cholerae can form sessile biofilms associated with abiotic surfaces, cyanobacteria, zoo-plankton, mollusks, or crustaceans. Along with the vibrio polysaccharide, secreted proteins of the rbm gene cluster are key to the biofilm ultrastructure. Here we provide a thorough structural characterization of RbmA, a protein involved in mediating cell-cell and cell-biofilm contacts. We correlate our structural findings with initial ligand specificity screening results, NMR protein-ligand interaction analysis, and complement our results with a full biocomputational study.

Plasmid DNA binds to the core oligosaccharide domain of LPS molecules of E. coli cell surface in the CaCl2-mediated transformation process

In the standard procedure for artificial transformation of E. coli by plasmid DNA, cellular competence for DNA uptake is developed by suspending the cells in ice-cold CaCl2 (50-100 mM). It is believed that CaCl2 helps DNA adsorption to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecules on E. coli cell surface; however, the binding mechanism is mostly obscure. In this report, we present our findings of an in-depth study on in vitro interaction between plasmid DNA and E. coli LPS, using different techniques like absorption and circular dichroism spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry, electron and atomic force microscopy, and so on. The results suggest that the Ca(II) ions, forming coordination complexes with the phosphates of DNA and LPS, facilitate the binding between them. The binding interaction appears to be cooperative, reversible, exothermic, and enthalpy-driven in nature. Binding of LPS causes a partial transition of DNA from B- to A-form. Finer study with the hydrolyzed products of LPS shows that only the core oligosaccharide domain of LPS is responsible for the interaction with DNA. Moreover, the biological significance of this interaction becomes evident from the observation that E. coli cells, from which the LPS have been leached out considerably, show higher efficiency of transformation, when transformed with plasmid-LPS complex rather than plasmid DNA alone.

A convenient synthesis of GDP D-glycero-alpha-D-manno-heptopyranose

GDP D-glycero-alpha-D-manno-Heptopyranose has been prepared in good overall yield from 2,3,4,6,7-penta-O-acetyl-D-glycero-D-manno-heptopyranose by a short-step synthesis. Phosphitylation using the phosphoramidite procedure afforded the alpha-anomer in high selectivity. Subsequent oxidation and partial deprotection gave the acetylated phosphate derivative, which was subjected to the coupling reaction with GMP-morpholidate to furnish the acetylated heptose nucleoside diphosphate in good yield. De-O-acetylation and final purification afforded the target GDP D-glycero-alpha-D-manno-heptopyranose, which serves as the substrate of the heptosyl transferase in Aneurinibacillus thermoaerophilus DSM 10155 and occurs as an intermediate in the biosynthesis of GDP 6-deoxy-heptose in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.

Efficient chemical synthesis of both anomers of ADP L-glycero- and D-glycero-D-manno-heptopyranose

A series of anomeric phosphates and ADP-activated L-glycero- and D-glycero-D-manno-heptopyranoses has been prepared in high overall yields, which provided model compounds and substrates in the elucidation of biosynthetic pathways and glycosyl transfer reactions of nucleotide-activated bacterial heptoses. The alpha-anomers of the heptosyl phosphates were obtained in high yield and selectivity using the phosphoramidite procedure, whereas the beta-phosphates were formed preferentially employing acylation of reducing heptoses with diphenyl phosphorochloridate. An efficient route to the formation of the nucleotide diphosphate sugars was elaborated by coupling of the O-acetylated phosphates with AMP-morpholidate followed by alkaline deprotection to furnish ADP-L- and D-glycero-alpha-D-manno-heptose in 84 and 89% yield, respectively. Deacetylation of the O-acetylated beta-configured ADP heptoses was conducted at strictly controlled conditions (-28 degrees C at pH 10.5) to suppress formation of cyclic heptose-1,2-phosphodiesters with concomitant release of AMP. Isolation of the unstable beta-configured ADP-heptoses by anion-exchange chromatography and gel-filtration afforded ADP L- and D-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptose in high yields.

Are S-layer glycoproteins and lipopolysaccharides related?

Several glycan structures of S-layer glycoproteins of gram-positive eubacteria were compared with the principal structural organization of O-antigens of lipopolysaccharides of gram-negative eubacteria. Further, activated intermediates of the biosynthetic pathway of S-layer glycans were compared with activated intermediates of the route of assembly of lipopolysaccharide O-antigens. As a result, at least structural similarities between both types of molecules have been clearly observed. More detailed studies of the assembly of S-layer glycans are required to unambiguously demonstrate the extent to which the biosynthetic pathways of both molecules are related.

Structural studies of the Vibrio cholerae O:5 O-antigen polysaccharide

The O-polysaccharide from Vibrio cholerae O:5 has been investigated, using NMR spectroscopy as the main method. Fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FABMS) studies of fragments obtained on treatment with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride or methanolic hydrogen chloride gave further structural information. Some structural features were also determined by comparison of nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) contacts with calculated H-H distance in different oligosaccharide models. It is concluded that the O-polysaccharide has the following structure, in which D-Qui p NAc4NAc is 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-D-glucose, and D-Fuc p 3NX is 3-amino-3,6-dideoxy-D-galactose acylated with a (R,R)-3-hydroxy-3-methyl-5-oxoproline group. [formula: see text]

The structure of the O-antigenic polysaccharide from lipopolysaccharide of Vibrio cholerae strain H11 (non-O1)

After acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Vibrio cholerae strain H11 (non-O1), a tetrasaccharide was obtained, the structure of which was determined by quantitative and methylation analyses, periodate oxidation, one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, and fast-atom-bombardment and four-sector tandem mass spectrometry as beta-D-GalANGro-(1-3)-beta-D-QuiNAc-(1-4)-alpha-D-GalANGr o-(1-4)-NeuAc, in which GalANGro is N-galacturonoyl-2-aminoglycerol and QuiN 2-amino-2,6-dideoxy-glucopyranose. In addition, the trisaccharide beta-D-GalANGro-(1-3)-beta-D-QuiNAc-(1-4)-D-altro-hept ulose and the disaccharide alpha-D-GalANGro-(1-4)-NeuAc were isolated from acid-degraded lipopolysaccharide; the occurrence of sedoheptulose in lipopolysaccharide has not been described before. Based on the result of methylation analysis showing that galacturonic acid was the terminal sugar of the polysaccharide chain, and on the assumption that the tri- and the disaccharide represented the reducing and the non-reducing ends of the polysaccharide, respectively, the chemical structure of the O-specific chain of V. cholerae H11 is proposed as alpha-D-GalANGro-(1-4)-alpha-NeuAc-(2-3)-beta-D-GalANGro-(1- 3)-beta-D-QuiNAc- (1-[4)-alpha-D-GalANGro-(1-4)-alpha-NeuAc-(2-3)-beta-D-GalANGro -(1-3)-beta-D- QuiNAc-(1-]n-(1-4)-D-altro-heptulose. However, other possible structures can not be ruled out since the tri- and the disaccharide could be localised at different positions.

Structural studies of the Vibrio cholerae O:3 O-antigen polysaccharide

The structure of the Vibrio cholerae O:3 O-antigen polysaccharide has been investigated, mainly by n.m.r. spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, sugar and methylation analysis, and specific degradations, and is proposed to involve the following tetrasaccharide repeating-unit. [formula: see text]. In this structure, D-D-Hep is D-glycero-D-manno-heptose, Asc is 3,6-dideoxy-L-arabino-hexose (ascarylose), and Sug is 2,4-diamino-2,4,6-trideoxy-D-glucose (bacillosamine) in which N-2 is acetylated and N-4 is acylated with a 3,5-dihydroxyhexanoic acid. That the 2,4-diamino-2,4,6-trideoxy-D-glucose residue is linked through O-3 and not through one of the hydroxyl groups in the 3,5-dihydroxyhexanoyl group is indicated but not definitely proved. The configuration of the latter group has not been determined. The f.a.b.-mass spectrum of the methylated O-antigen indicates that the structure given above also represents the biological repeating-unit.

Structural analysis of the heptose/hexose region of the lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli K-12 strain W3100

The disaccharide L-glycero-D-manno-heptosyl-D-glucose was isolated from the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Escherichia coli K-12 strain W3100 after partial hydrolysis with acid, and the structure was determined by methylation analysis, n.m.r. spectroscopy, and comparison with a synthetic standard. In addition, the oligosaccharides L,D-Hep-D-Glc-D-Glc and L,D-Hep-D-Glc-D-Glc-D-Glc were isolated, and their structures were established by g.l.c.-m.s. and methylation analysis. The results indicated that L-glycero-D-manno-heptose, a characteristic constituent of the inner core region, may also occur in the outer core region which, in E. coli, is generally composed of hexoses. A revised structure of the carbohydrate backbone of the hexose/heptose region of the LPS is given.

G.l.c.-m.s. of partially methylated and acetylated derivatives of L-glycero-D-manno- and D-glycero-D-manno-heptopyranoses and -heptitols

Methylated or acetylated heptopyranose derivatives were prepared variously from L-glycero-D-manno- and D-glycero-D-manno-heptopyranose, O-L- glycero-alpha-D-manno-heptopyranosyl-(1----3)-L-glycero-D-manno- heptopyranose, O-L-glycero-alpha-D-manno-heptopyranosyl-(1----7)-L-glycero- D-manno-heptopyranose, and O-L-glycero-alpha-D-manno- heptopyranosyl-(1----7)-O-L-glycero-alpha-D-manno- heptopyranosyl-(1----3)-L-glycero-D-manno- heptopyranose, which are structural elements of the heptose region of enterobacterial lipopolysaccharides. Each derivative was investigated by g.l.c. and g.l.c.-m.s., and the retention times and fragmentation patterns were used to identify partial structures of the heptose region of the core oligosaccharide of bacterial LPS.