A very simple synthesis of GlcNAc-α-pyrophosphoryl-decanol: A substrate for the assay of a bacterial galactosyltransferase

Identification and biochemical characterization of a novel α-1,3-mannosyltransferase WfcD from Escherichia coli O141

Glycosyltransferases (GTs) catalyze the formation of regio- and stereospecific glycosidic linkages between specific sugar donors and recipients. In this study, the function of the wfcD gene from the Escherichia coli O141 O-antigen gene cluster encoding an α-1,3-mannosyltransferase that catalyzed the formation of the linkage Man(α1-3)-GlcNAc was biochemically characterized. WfcD was expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3), and the enzymatic product was identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), collision-induced dissociation electrospray ionization ion trap multiple tandem MS (CID-ESI-IT-MSⁿ) and glycosidase digestion using the donor substrate GDP-Man and the synthetic acceptor substrate decyl diphosphate 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranose (GlcNAc-PP-De). The kinetic and physiochemical properties and the substrate specificity of WfcD were investigated. WfcD is the first characterized bacterial mannosyltransferase that acts on the Man(α1-3)-GlcNAc linkage. This study enhances our knowledge of the diverse functions of GTs.

Biochemical characterization of the novel α-1, 3-galactosyltransferase WclR from Escherichia coli O3

Glycosyltransferases (GTs) catalyze the formation of regio- and stereo-specific glycosidic linkages between specific sugar donors and recipients. In this study, the function of the gene wclR from the Escherichia coli O3 O-antigen gene cluster that encodes an α 1, 3-galactosyltransferase (GalT) that acts on the linkage Gal α 1, 3-GlcNAc was biochemically characterized. WclR was expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3), and the enzymatic product was identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), collision-induced dissociation electrospray ionization ion trap multiple tandem MS (CID-ESI-IT-MS(n)) and galactosidase digestion, using UDP-Gal as the donor substrate and the synthetic acceptor substrate GlcNAc-PP-De (decyl diphosphate N-acetylglucosamine). The physiochemical properties and the substrate specificity of WclR were investigated. WclR is the first bacterial GalT characterized that acts on the linkage Gal α 1, 3-GlcNAc. This study enhanced our knowledge of the diversified functions of GTs and provided a novel enzyme source for possible pharmaceutical application.

Characterization of two UDP-Gal:GalNAc-diphosphate-lipid β1,3-galactosyltransferases WbwC from Escherichia coli serotypes O104 and O5

Escherichia coli displays O antigens on the outer membrane that play an important role in bacterial interactions with the environment. The O antigens of enterohemorrhagic E. coli O104 and O5 contain a Galβ1-3GalNAc disaccharide at the reducing end of the repeating unit. Several other O antigens contain this disaccharide, which is identical to the mammalian O-glycan core 1 or the cancer-associated Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen. We identified the wbwC genes responsible for the synthesis of the disaccharide in E. coli serotypes O104 and O5. To functionally characterize WbwC, an acceptor substrate analog, GalNAcα-diphosphate-phenylundecyl, was synthesized. WbwC reaction products were isolated by high-pressure liquid chromatography and analyzed by mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, galactosidase and O-glycanase digestion, and anti-TF antibody. The results clearly showed that the Galβ1-3GalNAcα linkage was synthesized, confirming WbwCECO104 and WbwCECO5 as UDP-Gal:GalNAcα-diphosphate-lipid β1,3-Gal-transferases. Sequence analysis revealed a conserved DxDD motif, and mutagenesis showed the importance of these Asp residues in catalysis. The purified enzymes require divalent cations (Mn(2+)) for activity and are specific for UDP-Gal and GalNAc-diphosphate lipid substrates. WbwC was inhibited by bis-imidazolium salts having aliphatic chains of 18 to 22 carbons. This work will help to elucidate mechanisms of polysaccharide synthesis in pathogenic bacteria and provide technology for vaccine synthesis.

Biochemical characterization of WbdN, a β1,3-glucosyltransferase involved in O-antigen synthesis in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157

The enterohemorrhagic O157 strain of Escherichia coli, which is one of the most well-known bacterial pathogens, has an O-antigen repeating unit structure with the sequence [-2-d-Rha4NAcα1-3-l-Fucα1-4-d-Glcβ1-3-d-GalNAcα1-]. The O-antigen gene cluster of E. coli O157 contains the genes responsible for the assembly of this repeating unit and includes wbdN. In spite of cloning many O-antigen genes, biochemical characterization has been done on very few enzymes involved in O-antigen synthesis. In this work, we expressed the wbdN gene in E. coli BL21, and the His-tagged protein was purified. WbdN activity was characterized using the donor substrate UDP-[(14)C]Glc and the synthetic acceptor substrate GalNAcα-O-PO(3)-PO(3)-(CH(2))(11)-O-Ph. The enzyme product was isolated by high pressure liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry showed that one Glc residue was transferred to the acceptor by WbdN. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of the product structure indicated that Glc was β1-3 linked to GalNAc. WbdN contains a conserved DxD motif and requires divalent metal ions for full activity. WbdN activity has an optimal pH between 7 and 8 and is highly specific for UDP-Glc as the donor substrate. GalNAcα derivatives lacking the diphosphate group were inactive as substrates, and the enzyme did not transfer Glc to GlcNAcα-O-PO(3)-PO(3)-(CH(2))(11)-O-Ph. Our results illustrate that WbdN is a specific UDP-Glc:GalNAcα-diphosphate-lipid β1,3-Glc-transferase. The enzyme is a target for the development of inhibitors to block O157-antigen synthesis.

Biochemical characterization of UDP-Gal:GlcNAc-pyrophosphate-lipid β-1,4-Galactosyltransferase WfeD, a new enzyme from Shigella boydii type 14 that catalyzes the second step in O-antigen repeating-unit synthesis

The O antigen is the outer part of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and contains many repeats of an oligosaccharide unit. It contributes to antigenic variability and is essential to the full function and virulence of bacteria. Shigella is a Gram-negative human pathogen that causes diarrhea in humans. The O antigen of Shigella boydii type 14 consists of repeating oligosaccharide units with the structure [→6-d-Galpα1→4-d-GlcpAβ1→6-d-Galpβ1→4-d-Galpβ1→4-d-GlcpNAcβ1→]n. The wfeD gene in the O-antigen gene cluster of Shigella boydii type 14 was proposed to encode a galactosyltransferase (GalT) involved in O-antigen synthesis. We confirmed here that the wfeD gene product is a β4-GalT that synthesizes the Galβ1-4GlcNAcα-R linkage. WfeD was expressed in Escherichia coli, and the activity was characterized by using UDP-[³H]Gal as the donor substrate as well as the synthetic acceptor substrate GlcNAcα-pyrophosphate-(CH₂)₁₁-O-phenyl. The enzyme product was analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and galactosidase digestion. The enzyme was shown to be specific for the UDP-Gal donor substrate and required pyrophosphate in the acceptor substrate. Divalent metal ions such as Mn²(+), Ni²(+), and, surprisingly, also Pb²(+) enhanced the enzyme activity. Mutational analysis showed that the Glu101 residue within a DxD motif is essential for activity, possibly by forming the catalytic nucleophile. The Lys211 residue was also shown to be required for activity and may be involved in the binding of the negatively charged acceptor substrate. Our study revealed that the β4-GalT WfeD is a novel enzyme that has virtually no sequence similarity to mammalian β4-GalT, although it catalyzes a similar reaction.

11-Phenoxyundecyl phosphate as a 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl phosphate acceptor in O-antigen repeating unit assembly of Salmonella arizonae O:59

A synthesis of 11-phenoxyundecyl phosphate and its biochemical transformation (using GlcNAc-P transferase from Salmonella arizonae O:59 membranes catalysing transfer of GlcNc-phosphate from UDP-GlcNAc on lipid-phosphate) into P(1)-11-phenoxyundecyl, P(2)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranosyl diphosphate are described.

Characterization of two beta-1,3-glucosyltransferases from Escherichia coli serotypes O56 and O152

The O antigens of outer membrane-bound lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in gram-negative bacteria are oligosaccharides consisting of repeating units with various structures and antigenicities. The O56 and O152 antigens of Escherichia coli both contain a Glc-beta1-3-GlcNAc linkage within the repeating unit. We have cloned and identified the genes (wfaP in O56 and wfgD in O152) within the two O-antigen gene clusters that encode glucosyltransferases involved in the synthesis of this linkage. A synthetic substrate analog of the natural acceptor substrate undecaprenol-pyrophosphate-lipid [GlcNAc-alpha-PO3-PO3-(CH2)11-O-phenyl] was used as an acceptor and UDP-Glc as a donor substrate to demonstrate that both wfgD and wfaP encode glucosyltransferases. Enzyme products from both glucosyltransferases were isolated by high-pressure liquid chromatography and analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance. The spectra showed the expected Glc-beta1-3-GlcNAc linkage in the products, confirming that both WfaP and WfgD are forms of UDP-Glc: GlcNAc-pyrophosphate-lipid beta-1,3-glucosyltransferases. Both WfaP and WfgD have a DxD sequence, which is proposed to interact with phosphate groups of the nucleotide donor through the coordination of a metal cation, and a short hydrophobic sequence at the C terminus that may help to associate the enzymes with the inner membrane. We showed that the enzymes have similar properties and substrate recognition. They both require a divalent cation (Mn2+ or Mg2+) for activity, are deactivated by detergents, have a broad pH optimum, and require the pyrophosphate-sugar linkage in the acceptor substrate for full activity. Substrates lacking phosphate or pyrophosphate linked to GlcNAc were inactive. The length of the aliphatic chain of acceptor substrates also contributes to the activity.