Structure and serological characterization of an Nepsilon-[(R)-1-carboxyethyl]-L-lysine-containing O-chain of the lipopolysaccharide of Proteus mirabilis O13

Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz). 2001;49(2):163-9.

Abstract

In this paper we present the structure and describe serological properties of the O-specific polysaccharide of Proteus mirabilis O13 lipopolysaccharide, which contains a unique component: an amide of D-galacturonic acid (D-GalA) with an unusual amino acid, Nepsilon-[(R)-1-carboxyethyl]-L-lysine (alaninolysine, AlaLys). Selective chemical degradations of either GalA or AlaLys resulted in the loss of the serological reactivity of the polysaccharide with anti-O serum against P. mirabilis O13. Neither synthetic stereoisomers of AlaLys nor the isolated amide of GalA with AlaLys inhibited the reaction of the O-antiserum with the homologous lipopolysaccharide. The O-antiserum did not cross-react with the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O23 containing an amide of D-glucuronic acid with AlaLys. These data showed that both uronic acid and amino acid components of the amide play an important role in manifesting the P. mirabilis O13-specificity, but the full specific epitope also includes another O-specific polysaccharide component(s). A cross-reactivity of anti-O13 serum with some other P. mirabilis strains was observed and attributed to a common heat-stable antigen(s) different from the lipopolysaccharide.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Carbohydrate Sequence
  • Cross Reactions
  • Epitopes / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Lipopolysaccharides / chemistry*
  • Lipopolysaccharides / immunology*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Structure
  • O Antigens / chemistry
  • O Antigens / immunology
  • Proteus mirabilis / chemistry*
  • Proteus mirabilis / immunology*
  • Proteus mirabilis / pathogenicity
  • Uronic Acids / chemistry

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Epitopes
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • O Antigens
  • Uronic Acids
  • lipopolysaccharide, Proteus