Leibniz-Center for Medicine and Biosciences, Parkallee 22, 23845 Borstel, Germany, Department of Microbiology, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
It is well established that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) often carries nonstoichiometric substitutions in lipid A and in the inner core. In this work, the molecular basis of inner core alterations and their physiological significance are addressed. A new inner core modification of LPS is described, which arises due to the addition of glucuronic acid on the third heptose with a concomitant loss of phosphate on the second heptose. This was shown by chemical and structural analyses. Furthermore, the gene whose product is responsible for the addition of this sugar was identified in all Escherichia coli core types and in Salmonella and was designated waaH. Its deduced amino acid sequence exhibits homology to glycosyltransferase family 2. The transcription of the waaH gene is positively regulated by the PhoB/R two-component system in a growth phase-dependent manner, which is coordinated with the transcription of the ugd gene explaining the genetic basis of this modification. Glucuronic acid modification was observed in E. coli B, K12, R2, and R4 core types and in Salmonella. We also show that the phosphoethanolamine (P-EtN) addition on heptose I in E. coli K12 requires the product of the ORF yijP, a new gene designated as eptC. Incorporation of P-EtN is also positively regulated by PhoB/R, although it can occur at a basal level without a requirement for any regulatory inducible systems. This P-EtN modification is essential for resistance to a variety of factors, which destabilize the outer membrane like the addition of SDS or challenge to sublethal concentrations of Zn(2+).
13C NMR, 1H NMR, GLC-MS, NMR-2D, PCR, 31P NMR, ESI-MS, HPAEC, MALDI-MS, genetic methods, alkaline hydrolysis, extraction, transcription analysis, cloning, hydrazinolysis
Structure of the main oligosaccharide from deacylated E. coli B LPS.
13C NMR data:
Linkage Residue C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8
0,6,6,4 aXKdop 174.3 101.8 35.2 65.7 66.7 72.1 70.7 62.9
0,6,6,5,3,3,3 aDGlcp 99.3 71.8 73.0 69.4 71.7 60.3
0,6,6,5,3,3 aDGlcp 99.9 70.5 80.0 70.4 72.0 60.29
0,6,6,5,3,7,7 bDGlcpA 102.1 73.0 75.5 71.7 75.6 175.8
0,6,6,5,3,7 aXLDmanHepp 101.6 70.0 70.4 66.2 71.9 67.3 71.7
0,6,6,5,3 aXLDmanHepp 101.8 69.2 77.9 65.9 72.2 68.4 71.2
0,6,6,5,4 P
0,6,6,5 aXLDmanHepp 98.8 71.0 75.2 69.1 73.0 68.8 63.0
0,6,6 aXKdop 174.7 99.5 34.2 70.8 68.0 72.3 69.5 63.8
0,6 bDGlcpN 103.7 56.4 76.0 69.9 74.3 61.6
0 aDGlcpN 94.5 55.5 73.5 69.8 71.2 69.0
P
1H NMR data:
Linkage Residue H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7 H8
0,6,6,4 aXKdop - - 1.752-2.112 4.132 4.019 3.624 3.973 3.657-3.909
0,6,6,5,3,3,3 aDGlcp 5.321 3.501 3.714 3.398 3.968 3.742-3.797
0,6,6,5,3,3 aDGlcp 5.246 3.605 3.887 3.560 3.856 3.667-3.885
0,6,6,5,3,7,7 bDGlcpA 4.460 3.307 3.471 3.469 3.683 -
0,6,6,5,3,7 aXLDmanHepp 4.820 3.949 3.834 3.825 3.648 4.173 3.849-3.946
0,6,6,5,3 aXLDmanHepp 5.241 4.406 4.014 3.948 3.604 4.115 3.662-3.734
0,6,6,5,4 P
0,6,6,5 aXLDmanHepp 5.188 3.995 4.035 4.315 4.225 4.128 3.768-3.944
0,6,6 aXKdop - - 1.859-2.179 4.112 4.182 3.583 3.814 3.520-3.871
0,6 bDGlcpN 4.345 2.687 3.262 3.436 3.516 3.437-3.531
0 aDGlcpN 5.334 2.637 3.564 3.416 4.008 3.750-4.180
P
1H/13C HSQC data:
Linkage Residue C1/H1 C2/H2 C3/H3 C4/H4 C5/H5 C6/H6 C7/H7 C8/H8
0,6,6,4 aXKdop 35.2/1.752-2.112 65.7/4.132 66.7/4.019 72.1/3.624 70.7/3.973 62.9/3.657-3.909
0,6,6,5,3,3,3 aDGlcp 99.3/5.321 71.8/3.501 73.0/3.714 69.4/3.398 71.7/3.968 60.3/3.742-3.797
0,6,6,5,3,3 aDGlcp 99.9/5.246 70.5/3.605 80.0/3.887 70.4/3.560 72.0/3.856 60.29/3.667-3.885
0,6,6,5,3,7,7 bDGlcpA 102.1/4.460 73.0/3.307 75.5/3.471 71.7/3.469 75.6/3.683
0,6,6,5,3,7 aXLDmanHepp 101.6/4.820 70.0/3.949 70.4/3.834 66.2/3.825 71.9/3.648 67.3/4.173 71.7/3.849-3.946
0,6,6,5,3 aXLDmanHepp 101.8/5.241 69.2/4.406 77.9/4.014 65.9/3.948 72.2/3.604 68.4/4.115 71.2/3.662-3.734
0,6,6,5,4 P
0,6,6,5 aXLDmanHepp 98.8/5.188 71.0/3.995 75.2/4.035 69.1/4.315 73.0/4.225 68.8/4.128 63.0/3.768-3.944
0,6,6 aXKdop 34.2/1.859-2.179 70.8/4.112 68.0/4.182 72.3/3.583 69.5/3.814 63.8/3.520-3.871
0,6 bDGlcpN 103.7/4.345 56.4/2.687 76.0/3.262 69.9/3.436 74.3/3.516 61.6/3.437-3.531
0 aDGlcpN 94.5/5.334 55.5/2.637 73.5/3.564 69.8/3.416 71.2/4.008 69.0/3.750-4.180
P