Lack of the alpha-1,2-linked N-acetyl-D-glucosamine epitope in the outer core structures of lipopolysaccharides from certain O serogroups and subspecies of Salmonella enterica

Molecular insights into the assembly and diversity of the outer core oligosaccharide in lipopolysaccharides from Escherichia coli and Salmonella

In the Enterobacteriaceae, the core oligosaccharide provides the junction between the highly conserved lipid A and the remarkably diverse polysaccharide O antigen. The basic structure of the inner (lipid A-proximal) core is well conserved, perhaps reflecting constraints imposed by its involvement in the structural integrity of the outer membrane. However, non-stoichiometric modifications do create some structural variants. The outer core may show more variation. Efforts to develop immunoprophylactic strategies based on the core oligosaccharide require a detailed understanding of core immunochemistry, the accessibility of specific epitopes in the LPS, and the distribution of specific structures within natural populations. The availability of sequences for the waa (core biosynthesis) loci and functional data for the gene products provide a molecular basis for the known structural diversity in Escherichia coli and Salmonella core oligosaccharide. Surveys of waa-locus organization have established the distribution of these core types in natural populations and have identified genetic variants that provide candidates for additional novel structures.

Monoclonal antibodies to lipopolysaccharide antigens of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium DT104

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Typhimurium is one of the major causative agents of human gastroenteritis. Here we raised a panel of 45 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against ser. Typhimurium DT104 by immunizing mice with formalin-killed bacteria and demonstrated that all the MAbs recognized the bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antigen. These MAbs were specific for group O:4 Salmonella with very little or no cross-reactivity with other closely related bacteria and were able to bind to the cell surface of live bacterial cells, making them potential candidates for capture and concentration of the pathogen in food and water samples. Epitope characterization revealed that the O:5 antigen present in the LPS of some serogroup 4 Salmonella is the critical factor for the binding of these MAbs to LPS. This study has provided some insights into the structure of the Salmonella LPS and its influence on the antigenicity of LPS.

Investigation of the structural requirements in the lipopolysaccharide core acceptor for ligation of O antigens in the genus Salmonella: WaaL "ligase" is not the sole determinant of acceptor specificity

The ligation of O antigen polysaccharide to lipid A-core oligosaccharide is a late step in the formation of the complex glycolipid known as lipopolysaccharide. Although the process has been localized to the periplasmic face of the inner membrane, details of the ligation mechanism have not been resolved. To date, there is only one gene product (WaaL, often referred to as "ligase") known to be required. There exists a requirement for a specific lipid A-core oligosaccharide acceptor structure for ligation activity, and it has been proposed that the WaaL protein imparts this acceptor specificity. Here the structural requirements in the core oligosaccharide acceptor for O antigen ligation are investigated in prototype serovars of Salmonella enterica. Complementation experiments in mutants with defined core oligosaccharide structure indicate that the specificity of the ligation reaction for a particular core oligosaccharide structure is not dependent on the WaaL protein alone. The data provide the first indication of a more complicated recognition process involving additional cellular components.

Molecular diversity of the genetic loci responsible for lipopolysaccharide core oligosaccharide assembly within the genus Salmonella

The waa locus on the chromosome of Salmonella enterica encodes enzymes involved in the assembly of the core oligosaccharide region of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecule. To date, there are two known core structures in Salmonella, represented by serovars Typhimurium (subspecies I) and Arizonae (subspecies IIIA). The waa locus for serovar Typhimurium has been characterized. Here, the corresponding locus from serovar Arizonae is described, and the molecular basis for the distinctive structures is established. Eleven of the 13 open reading frames (ORFs) are shared by the two loci and encode conserved proteins of known function. Two polymorphic regions distinguish the waa loci. One involves the waaK gene, the product of which adds a terminal alpha-1,2-linked N-acetylglucosamine residue that characterizes the serovar Typhimurium core oligosaccharide. There is an extensive internal deletion within waaK of serovar Arizonae. The serovar Arizonae locus contains a novel ORF (waaH) between the waaB and waaP genes. Structural analyses and in vitro glycosyltransferase assays identified WaaH as the UDP-glucose:(glucosyl) LPS alpha-1,2-glucosyltransferase responsible for the addition of the characteristic terminal glucose residue found in serovar Arizonae. Isolates comprising the Salmonella Reference Collections, SARC (representing the eight subspecies of S. enterica) and SARB (representing subspecies I), were examined to assess the distribution of the waa locus polymorphic regions in natural populations. These comparative studies identified additional waa locus polymorphisms, shedding light on the genetic basis for diversity in the LPS core oligosaccharides of Salmonella isolates and identifying potential sources of further novel LPS structures.

Heterogeneity in expression of lipopolysaccharide by strains of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium definitive phage type 104 and related phage types

AIMS

To investigate lipopolysaccharide (LPS) expression in Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium definitive phage type 104 (Salmonella Typhimurium DT104) and related phage types.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Isolates were examined for the expression of LPS by SDS-PAGE and silver staining and subtyped by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE). The 100 isolates expressed one of two LPS profiles designated A (72%) and B (28%). LPS profiling was able to discriminate between isolates of identical PFGE type. Among 10 groups of outbreak isolates examined, each group was of a single LPS profile: A, 8/10 and B, 2/10. All 10 outbreaks were identical by PFGE analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Isolates of Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 and related phage types expressed one of two distinct LPS profiles. The two LPS profiles appear similar but shifted and in phase with one another, suggesting that the heterogeneity is due to changes in the LPS core region rather than among the repeating oligosaccharide units of the long-chain LPS. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE SUTDY: LPS profiling provides a useful adjunct to PFGE and other molecular methods for the subtyping of this group of bacteria in epidemiological investigations.

All accessible epitopes in the Salmonella lipopolysaccharide core are associated with branch residues

Antisera generated against each of the nine known chemotypes of Salmonella lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core were characterized in order to delineate cross-reactive epitopes and define the bases for their accessibility. Strongly cross-reactive epitopes were associated with three chemotypes: Ra and Rb4, which recognized alpha-GlcNAc-1-->2-alpha-Glc, and Rd1, which recognized L-alpha-D-heptose-1-->7-L-alpha-D-heptose. Both these disaccharides and the more weakly cross-reactive alpha-Gal-1-->6-alpha-Glc terminal in Rb3 LPS represent branch points along the core oligosaccharide. Therefore, branch points in endotoxin core oligosaccharides may generally be cross-reactive.

alpha-GlcNAc-1-->2-alpha-glc, the Salmonella homologue of a conserved lipopolysaccharide motif in the Enterobacteriaceae, elicits broadly cross-reactive antibodies

To define cross-reactive epitopes in Salmonella lipopolysaccharide (LPS), antisera designated anti-S, anti-Ra, and anti-Re were generated against smooth (S), complete-core (Ra), and deep-core mutant (Re) strains, respectively, and characterized immunochemically. The reactivities of anti-Ra and anti-S with rough LPS (rLPS) chemotypes in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) decreased progressively with increasing truncation of the complete-core oligosaccharide (e.g., Ra > Rb1 >.Re), while that of anti-Re increased (Ra < Rb1 <.Re). Anti-Ra was relatively more reactive with nonhomologous smooth LPS (sLPS) than anti-S, which in turn was more reactive than anti-Re. This order reflected the relative reactivities of these sera with outer-core rLPS but not those with inner-core rLPS, which suggests that the cross-reactivities of all three sera with sLPS were mediated by antibodies which bind outer-core determinants. Anti-Ra, but not anti-S or anti-Re, reacted with molecules substituted by O chains in immunoblots and revealed ladder-like patterns in sLPSs of various serospecificities. Anti-Ra, however, did not react with O-antigen-specific neoglycoconjugates in ELISA, thus demonstrating specificity for core epitopes. Ra and Rb1 but not other Salmonella core chemotypes inhibited the reactivity of anti-Ra with sLPS in ELISA, which showed that the terminal outer-core disaccharide, alpha-GlcNAc-1-->2-alpha-Glc (GlcNAc-->Glc), was the major epitope of cross-reactive antibodies in the serum. GlcNAc-->Glc represents the conserved motif alpha-hexose-1-->2-alpha-hexose in cores of the Enterobacteriaceae, other homologues of which should likewise be cross-reactive. These results demonstrate that S or Re strains do not elicit cross-reactive antibodies and indicate that immunization with Ra strains may represent a general strategy for eliciting cross-reactive antibodies against LPSs from enteric bacteria.

Identification of a novel core type in Salmonella lipopolysaccharide. Complete structural analysis of the core region of the lipopolysaccharide from Salmonella enterica sv. Arizonae O62

For the first time, the complete structure of a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core region from Salmonella enterica has been identified that is different from the Ra core type generally thought to be present in all Salmonella LPS. The LPSs from two rough mutants and the smooth form of S. enterica sv. Arizonae IIIa O62, which all failed to react with an Ra core type-specific monoclonal antibody and were resistant to phage FO1, were analyzed after chemical modification using monosaccharide analysis, mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy. In the novel core type, the terminal D-GlcNAc residue present in the Ra core type, is replaced by a D-Glc residue. The O-specific polysaccharide is alpha1-->4-linked to the second distal Glc residue of the core. Furthermore, phosphoryl substituents attached to O-4 of L-glycero-D-manno-heptose (Hep) I and II were identified as 2-aminoethyl diphosphate (on Hep I) and phosphate (Hep II). [structure: see text] Abbreviations in Structure I are as follows: Hepp, L-glycero-D-manno-heptopyranose; Kdo, 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulopyranosonic acid; PPEA, 2-aminoethyl diphosphate; R, O-specific polysaccharide. The presence of this novel core type in LPS of S. enterica should be taken into account in the development of a general antibody-based diagnostic system for Salmonella.

The sialic acid-containing lipopolysaccharides of Salmonella djakarta and Salmonella isaszeg (serogroup O: 48): chemical characterization and reactivity with a sialic acid-binding lectin from Cepaea hortensis

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of Salmonella djakarta and Salmonella isaszeg, as well as of a spontaneous R-mutant of S. djakarta were investigated as to their content in neuraminic acid (Neu) and its individual linkage. The two Salmonella serovars both belong to the O:48 serogroup of Salmonella, but to two different subgroups. LPS of both S-forms contained high amounts of Neu, although in different quantities, whereas the R-form was completely devoid of it. Methylation analysis indicated that Neu is exclusively terminally linked in S. djakarta whereas both terminal and 4-linked Neu were recognized in S. isaszeg. Although terminally linked, a sialidase from Arthrobacter ureafaciens was unable to split Neu even after prolonged incubation from both S-type LPSs. When LPS was first treated by mild alkali, however, the total amount of Neu from S. djakarta LPS and about 50% from that of LPS of S.isaszeg could be removed. In contrast, alkali-treated LPS, but also the non-treated one, proved to be effective inhibitors for a sialic acid-binding lectin from Cepaea hortensis. The resistance of terminal Neu towards sialidase may be due to the presence of an O-acetyl group which would be removed during the methylation analysis but would, especially when linked to C-4, not interfere with the reactivity of the lectin.

Selective amplification of abequose and paratose synthase genes (rfb) by polymerase chain reaction for identification of Salmonella major serogroups (A, B, C2, and D)

Many parts of the Salmonella rfb gene clusters which are responsible for biosynthesis of the oligosaccharide-repeating units of the O-antigenic lipopolysaccharide have recently been cloned and sequenced. On the basis of this knowledge, three sets of nucleotide primers were selected to target defined regions of the abequose and paratose synthase genes: rfbJ of Salmonella serogroup B, rfbJ of Salmonella serogroup C2, and rfbS of Salmonella serogroup D (also present in serogroup A). For good differentiation among these major serogroups, the primers were designed not only to give precise specificity in priming but also to give DNA products with different sizes in polymerase chain reactions (product sizes, approximately 720 bp for both serogroups A and D, approximately 820 bp for serogroup C2, and approximately 882 bp for serogroup B). In a polymerase chain reaction assay utilizing these rfb-specific primers, all of the 40 salmonellae belonging to serogroups B, C2, and D plus A were accurately identified among a total of 123 clinical isolates tested (including 55 salmonellae from 36 different serotypes and 68 strains from 10 other members of the family Enterobacteriaceae). No false-positive reactions were detected. The selected rfb gene sequences were proved for the first time to be useful DNA-based markers for identification of and differentiation among Salmonella serogroups A, B, C2, and D.

Monoclonal antibodies that detect live salmonellae

Nine immunoglobulin G and nine immunoglobulin M murine monoclonal antibody-producing hybridomas reactive with live Salmonella bacteria were obtained from several fusions of immune spleen cells and Sp2/0 myeloma cells. The antibodies were selected by the magnetic immunoluminescence assay. The monoclonal antibodies were reactive with serogroups A, B, C1, C2, D, E, and K and Salmonella choleraesuis subsp. diarizonae. Each monoclonal antibody proved to be reactive with a distinct serotype. Clinical isolates belonging to these Salmonella serogroups could be detected. Reactivity with non-Salmonella bacteria proved to be minor.

Structural differences in the outer core region of lipopolysaccharides derived from members of the genus Salmonella

Spontaneous and P22-resistant rough mutants, respectively, selected from Salmonella IV (18: z36, z38:-) and S. djakarta (48: z4, z24:-), appeared to lack the epitope recognized by the T6 monoclonal antibody which had been previously shown to correspond to the terminal alpha-1,2-linked N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residue of the Salmonella lipopolysaccharide (LPS) Ra core. LPSs and core oligosaccharides were therefore prepared from these two rough mutants and analysed by chemical and serological methods. Sugar analyses as well as methylation and 13C-NMR studies indicated that rough mutants derived from these two serotypes indeed possessed outer core structures differing from those of the well-characterized Salmonella Ra core. Serological data corroborated the chemical findings. Proposed structures of the outer core regions of these two R-types are presented and the significance of the findings is discussed.