Reconstitution of O-specific lipopolysaccharide expression in Burkholderia cenocepacia strain J2315, which is associated with transmissible infections in patients with cystic fibrosis

J Bacteriol. 2005 Feb;187(4):1324-33. doi: 10.1128/JB.187.4.1324-1333.2005.

Abstract

Burkholderia cenocepacia is an opportunistic bacterium that infects patients with cystic fibrosis. B. cenocepacia strains J2315, K56-2, C5424, and BC7 belong to the ET12 epidemic clone, which is transmissible among patients. We have previously shown that transposon mutants with insertions within the O antigen cluster of strain K56-2 are attenuated for survival in a rat model of lung infection. From the genomic DNA sequence of the O antigen-deficient strain J2315, we have identified an O antigen lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis gene cluster that has an IS402 interrupting a predicted glycosyltransferase gene. A comparison with the other clonal isolates revealed that only strain K56-2, which produced O antigen and displayed serum resistance, lacked the insertion element inserted within the putative glycosyltransferase gene. We cloned the uninterrupted gene and additional flanking sequences from K56-2 and conjugated this plasmid into strains J2315, C5424, and BC7. All the exconjugants recovered the ability to form LPS O antigen. We also determined that the structure of the strain K56-2 O antigen repeat, which was absent from the LPS of strain J2315, consisted of a trisaccharide unit made of rhamnose and two N-acetylgalactosamine residues. The complexity of the gene organization of the K56-2 O antigen cluster was also investigated by reverse transcription-PCR, revealing several transcriptional units, one of which also contains genes involved in lipid A-core oligosaccharide biosynthesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Burkholderia / genetics
  • Burkholderia / immunology
  • Burkholderia / metabolism
  • Burkholderia / pathogenicity*
  • Burkholderia Infections / microbiology*
  • Burkholderia Infections / transmission
  • Complement System Proteins / immunology
  • Conjugation, Genetic
  • Cystic Fibrosis / microbiology*
  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Genetic Complementation Test
  • Glycosyltransferases / genetics*
  • Glycosyltransferases / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Lipopolysaccharides / biosynthesis*
  • Lipopolysaccharides / chemistry
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Multigene Family
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional
  • O Antigens / biosynthesis*
  • O Antigens / chemistry
  • O Antigens / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Trisaccharides / chemistry
  • Trisaccharides / isolation & purification
  • Virulence Factors / biosynthesis*
  • Virulence Factors / chemistry
  • Virulence Factors / genetics

Substances

  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • O Antigens
  • Trisaccharides
  • Virulence Factors
  • Complement System Proteins
  • Glycosyltransferases

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AY633623