Influence of Shigella flexneri 2a O Antigen Acetylation on Its Bacteriophage Sf6 Receptor Activity and Bacterial Interaction with Human Cells

Abstract

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains and lack of efficient vaccines have made Shigella a priority organism for the World Health Organization (1). Therefore, bacteriophage therapy has received increasing attention as an alternative therapeutic approach. LPS Oag is the most variable part of LPS due to chemical modifications and is the target of bacteriophage Sf6 ( S. flexneri specific). We dissected the evolution of S. flexneri serotype Y to 2a 2 , which revealed a new role for a gene acquired during serotype conversion and furthermore identified new specific forms of LPS receptor for Sf6. Collectively, these results unfold the importance of the acquisition of those Oag modification genes and further our understanding of the relationship between Sf6 and S. flexneri .