Affiliation:
1. Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences City University of Hong Kong Kowloon Tong Hong Kong SAR 999077
2. State Key Lab of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery and the Department of Food Science and Nutrition The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hung Hom Hong Kong SAR 999077
3. Department of Chemistry the State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Road Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR 999077
4. Shenzhen Key lab for Food Biological Safety Control The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute Shenzhen China 518057
Abstract
AbstractPseudaminic acid (Pse) is found in the polysaccharide structures of the cell surface of various Gram‐negative pathogenic bacteria including Acinetobacter baumannii and considered as an important component of cell surface glycans including oligosaccharides and glycoproteins. However, the glycosyltransferase that is responsible for the Pse glycosylation in A. baumannii remains unknown yet. In this study, through comparative genomics analysis of Pse‐positive and negative A. baumannii clinical isolates, we identified a potential glycosyltransferase, KpsS1, located right downstream of the Pse biosynthesis genetic locus. Deletion of this gene in an Pse‐positive A. baumannii strain, Ab8, impaired the glycosylation of Pse to the surface CPS and proteins, while the gene knockout strain, Ab8ΔkpsS1, could still produce Pse with 2.86 folds higher amount than that of Ab8. Furthermore, impairment of Pse glycosylation affected the morphology and virulence potential of A. baumannii, suggesting the important role of this protein. This study will provide insights into the further understanding of Pse in bacterial physiology and pathogenesis.
Funder
Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee
Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology
Health and Medical Research Fund