A gene cluster for the synthesis of serotype d-specific polysaccharide antigen in Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans

Genomic Islands Shape the Genetic Background of Both JP2 and Non-JP2 Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is a periodontal pathogen associated with periodontitis. This species exhibits substantial variations in gene content among different isolates and has different virulence potentials. This study examined the distribution of genomic islands and their insert sites among genetically diverse A. actinomycetemcomitans strains by comparative genomic analysis. The results showed that some islands, presumably more ancient, were found across all genetic clades of A. actinomycetemcomitans. In contrast, other islands were specific to individual clades or a subset of clades and may have been acquired more recently. The islands for the biogenesis of serotype-specific antigens comprise distinct genes located in different loci for serotype a and serotype b–f strains. Islands that encode the same cytolethal distending toxins appear to have been acquired via distinct mechanisms in different loci for clade b/c and for clade a/d/e/f strains. The functions of numerous other islands remain to be elucidated. JP2 strains represent a small branch within clade b, one of the five major genetic clades of A. actinomycetemcomitans. In conclusion, the complex process of genomic island acquisition, deletion, and modification is a significant force in the genetic divergence of A. actinomycetemcomitans. Assessing the genetic distinctions between JP2 and non-JP2 strains must consider the landscape of genetic variations shaped by evolution.

Human Serum-Specific Activation of Alternative Sigma Factors, the Stress Responders in Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, a known pathogen causing periodontal disease and infective endocarditis, is a survivor in the periodontal pocket and blood stream; both environments contain serum as a nutrient source. To screen for unknown virulence factors associated with this microorganism, A. actinomycetemcomitans was grown in serum-based media to simulate its in vivo environment. Different strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans showed distinct growth phenotypes only in the presence of human serum, and they were grouped into high- and low-responder groups. High-responders comprised mainly serotype c strains, and showed an unusual growth phenomenon, featuring a second, rapid increase in turbidity after 9-h incubation that reached a final optical density 2- to 7-fold higher than low-responders. Upon further investigation, the second increase in turbidity was not caused by cell multiplication, but by cell death. Whole transcriptomic analysis via RNA-seq identified 35 genes that were up-regulated by human serum, but not horse serum, in high-responders but not in low-responders, including prominently an alternative sigma factor rpoE (σ^E). A lacZ reporter construct driven by the 132-bp rpoE promoter sequence of A. actinomycetemcomitans responded dramatically to human serum within 90 min of incubation only when the construct was carried by a high responder strain. The rpoE promoter is 100% identical among high- and low-responder strains. Proteomic investigation showed potential interactions between human serum protein, e.g. apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) and A. actinomycetemcomitans. The data clearly indicated a different activation process for rpoE in high- versus low-responder strains. This differential human serum-specific activation of rpoE, a putative extra-cytoplasmic stress responder and global regulator, suggests distinct in vivo adaptations among different strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans.

A gene cluster for the synthesis of serotype g-specific polysaccharide antigen in Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is an important pathogen related to aggressively progressive periodontal breakdown in adolescents and adults. The species can be divided into six serotypes (a-f) according to their surface carbohydrate antigens. Recently, a new serotype g of A. actinomycetemcomitans was proposed. The aim of the present study was to sequence the gene cluster associated with the biosynthesis of the serotype g-specific polysaccharide antigen and develop serotype-specific primers for PCR assay to identify serotype g strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans. The serotype-specific polysaccharide (SSPS) gene cluster of the NUM-Aa 4039 strain contained 21 genes in 21,842-bp nucleotides. The similarity of the SSPS gene cluster sequence was 96.7 % compared with that of the serotype e strain. Seventeen serotype g genes showed more than 90 % homology both in nucleotide and amino acids to the serotype e strain. Three additional genes with 1,579 bp in NUM-Aa 4039 were inserted into the corresponding ORF13 of the serotype e strain. The serotype g-specific primers were designed from the insertion region of NUM-Aa 4039. Serotypes of the a-f strains were not amplified by serotype-specific g primers; only NUM-Aa 4039 showed an amplicon band. The NUM-Aa 4039 strain was three genes in the SSPS gene cluster different from those of serotype e strain. The specific primers derived from these different regions are useful for identification and distribution of serotype g strain among A. actinomycetemcomitans from clinical samples.

ABC transporters involved in export of cell surface glycoconjugates

Complex glycoconjugates play critical roles in the biology of microorganisms. Despite the remarkable diversity in glycan structures and the bacteria that produce them, conserved themes are evident in the biosynthesis-export pathways. One of the primary pathways involves representatives of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily. These proteins are responsible for the export of a wide variety of cell surface oligo- and polysaccharides in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Recent investigations of the structure and function of ABC transporters involved in the export of lipopolysaccharide O antigens have revealed two fundamentally different strategies for coupling glycan polymerization to export. These mechanisms are distinguished by the presence (or absence) of characteristic nonreducing terminal modifications on the export substrates, which serve as chain termination and/or export signals, and by the presence (or absence) of a discrete substrate-binding domain in the nucleotide-binding domain polypeptide of the ABC transporter. A bioinformatic survey examining ABC exporters from known oligo- and polysaccharide biosynthesis loci identifies conserved nucleotide-binding domain protein families that correlate well with themes in the structures and assembly of glycans. The familial relationships among the ABC exporters generate hypotheses concerning the biosynthesis of structurally diverse oligo- and polysaccharides, which play important roles in the biology of bacteria with different lifestyles.

Glycosylation of the collagen adhesin EmaA of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is dependent upon the lipopolysaccharide biosynthetic pathway

The human oropharyngeal pathogen Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans synthesizes multiple adhesins, including the nonfimbrial extracellular matrix protein adhesin A (EmaA). EmaA monomers trimerize to form antennae-like structures on the surface of the bacterium, which are required for collagen binding. Two forms of the protein have been identified, which are suggested to be linked with the type of O-polysaccharide (O-PS) of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) synthesized (G. Tang et al., Microbiology 153:2447-2457, 2007). This association was investigated by generating individual mutants for a rhamnose sugar biosynthetic enzyme (rmlC; TDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-d-glucose 3,5-epimerase), the ATP binding cassette (ABC) sugar transport protein (wzt), and the O-antigen ligase (waaL). All three mutants produced reduced amounts of O-PS, and the EmaA monomers in these mutants displayed a change in their electrophoretic mobility and aggregation state, as observed in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gels. The modification of EmaA with O-PS sugars was suggested by lectin blots, using the fucose-specific Lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA). Fucose is one of the glycan components of serotype b O-PS. The rmlC mutant strain expressing the modified EmaA protein demonstrated reduced collagen adhesion using an in vitro rabbit heart valve model, suggesting a role for the glycoconjugant in collagen binding. These data provide experimental evidence for the glycosylation of an oligomeric, coiled-coil adhesin and for the dependence of the posttranslational modification of EmaA on the LPS biosynthetic machinery in A. actinomycetemcomitans.

Adherence of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans via serotype-specific polysaccharide antigens in lipopolysaccharides

INTRODUCTION

Gram-negative Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is recognized as an important periodontal pathogen. A striking property of this bacterium is its ability to form a tenacious biofilm adhering to abiotic surfaces. Both fimbrial and non-fimbrial adhesins are believed to be responsible for this ability. In our study, specific markerless mutants in the biosynthesis genes of cell surface polysaccharides were constructed with the Cre-loxP recombination system to identify non-fimbrial adhesin(s).

METHODS

Non-fimbriated A. actinomycetemcomitans strain ATCC29523 (serotype a) was used to construct a deletion mutant of serotype-a specific polysaccharide antigen (SPA-a) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The LPS was purified through a polymyxin B column following phenol extraction, and verified by silver staining following sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by immunoblot analysis using rabbit antisera raised against SPA-a. Strains were grown in broth for 2 days and examined for the adherence of bacterial cells on the glass surface.

RESULTS

Strain ATCC29523 formed a thin film of bacterial growth on the glass surface. The deletion of SPA-a affected its ability to form this thin film. When this mutant was rescued with the wild-type SPA-a gene cluster, its adherence-positive phenotype was restored.

CONCLUSION

SPA-a in the LPS molecule appears to promote the adherence of A. actinomycetemcomitans cells to abiotic surfaces.

Genome biology of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae JL03, an isolate of serotype 3 prevalent in China

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is the etiologic agent of porcine contagious pleuropneumonia, a cause of considerable world wide economic losses in the swine industry. We sequenced the complete genome of A. pleuropneumoniae, JL03, an isolate of serotype 3 prevalent in China. Its genome is a single chromosome of 2,242,062 base pairs containing 2,097 predicted protein-coding sequences, six ribosomal rRNA operons, and 63 tRNA genes. Preliminary analysis of the genomic sequence and the functions of the encoded proteins not only confirmed the present physiological and pathological knowledge but also offered new insights into the metabolic and virulence characteristics of this important pathogen. We identified a full spectrum of genes related to its characteristic chemoheterotrophic catabolism of fermentation and respiration with an incomplete TCA system for anabolism. In addition to confirming the lack of ApxI toxin, identification of a nonsense mutation in apxIVA and a 5'-proximal truncation of the flp operon deleting both its promoter and the flp1flp2tadV genes have provided convincing scenarios for the low virulence property of JL03. Comparative genomic analysis using the available sequences of other serotypes, probable strain (serotype)-specific genomic islands related to capsular polysaccharides and lipopolysaccharide O-antigen biosyntheses were identified in JL03, which provides a foundation for future research into the mechanisms of serotypic diversity of A. pleuropneumoniae.

Molecular heterogeneity of EmaA, an oligomeric autotransporter adhesin of Aggregatibacter (Actinobacillus) actinomycetemcomitans

Adhesion of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans to extracellular matrix proteins is mediated by antennae-like surface structures composed of EmaA oligomers. EmaA is an outer-membrane protein orthologous to the autotransporter YadA, a virulence determinant of Yersinia. emaA was present in the 27 strains examined, covering the six serotypes of A. actinomycetemcomitans. Ten individual genotypes and three different forms of the protein (full-length, intermediate and truncated) were predicted. The prototypic, full-length EmaA (202 kDa) was only associated with serotypes b and c, which displayed antennae-like surface structures. These strains bound to collagen embedded in a 3D matrix. The intermediate form of EmaA (173 kDa) was exclusively associated with serotypes d and a, which contained a 279 aa in-frame deletion, as well as a different N-terminal head domain sequence. These differences modified the appearance of the EmaA structures on the cell surface but maintained collagen-binding activity. Strains containing the truncated form of EmaA had single or multiple substitutions, deletions or insertions in the sequences, which resulted in the absence of EmaA molecules on the outer membrane and loss of collagen-binding activity. Population structure analyses of this organism, based on emaA, indicated that serotypes b and c belonged to one subpopulation, which was independent of the other serotypes. The main divergence was found in the functional head domain. The conserved emaA genotype within serotypes suggests a stable clonal linkage between this autotransporter protein and other virulence determinants.

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitansserotype-specific genotypes and periodontal status in Brazilian subjects

Periodontitis is associated with members of the oral microbiota, such as Actinobacillus actino mycetem comitans. To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate, by PCR, the occurrence of the six known bacterium serotypes that included subjects with and without periodontitis. Our group comprised 49 Brazilian subjects. We studied 146 bacterial isolates from 23 patients with aggressive or chronic periodontitis and 26 subgingival specimens from subjects with or without periodontitis, all originating in our collection. Serotypes b and c were observed in similar frequencies, and no subject harboured d, e, or f serotype strains. Around 78% subjects had single-serotype infection. Mixed infection was seen only in aggressive periodontitis patients. An association between serotype b and healthy periodontium and between serotype c and chronic periodontitis was observed. Our results diverge from those previously reported, which may be explained by specific distribution patterns in distinct populations. The association of different serotypes with the same periodontal status or conversely of a serotype with different periodontal conditions indicates that organism serotyping should not be used as a sole reliable marker for predicting the outcome of the infection. Evaluation of factors involved in human oral cavity colonization by subsets of A. actinomycetemcomitans is essential for elucidating organism-host-environment relationships.Key words: Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, genotyping, serotyping, periodontitis.

Genetic organization of chromosomal S-layer glycan biosynthesis loci of Bacillaceae

S-layer glycoproteins are cell surface glycoconjugates that have been identified in archaea and in bacteria. Usually, S-layer glycoproteins assemble into regular, crystalline arrays covering the entire bacterium. Our research focuses on thermophilic Bacillaceae, which are considered a suitable model system for studying bacterial glycosylation. During the past decade, investigations of S-layer glycoproteins dealt with the elucidation of the highly variable glycan structures by a combination of chemical degradation methods and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. It was only recently that the molecular characterization of the genes governing the formation of the S-layer glycoprotein glycan chains has been initiated. The S-layer glycosylation (slg) gene clusters of four of the 11 known S-layer glycan structures from members of the Bacillaceae have now been studied. The clusters are approximately 16 to approximately 25 kb in size and transcribed as polycistronic units. They include nucleotide sugar pathway genes that are arranged as operons, sugar transferase genes, glycan processing genes, and transporter genes. So far, the biochemical functions only of the genes required for nucleotide sugar biosynthesis have been demonstrated experimentally. The presence of insertion sequences and the decrease of the G + C content at the slg locus suggest that the investigated organisms have acquired their specific S-layer glycosylation potential by lateral gene transfer. In addition, S-layer protein glycosylation requires the participation of housekeeping genes that map outside the cluster. The gene encoding the respective S-layer target protein is transcribed monocistronically and independently of the slg cluster genes. Its chromosomal location is not necessarily in close vicinity to the slg gene cluster.

Molecular pathogenicity of the oral opportunistic pathogen Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans

Periodontitis is mankind's most common chronic inflammatory disease. One severe form of periodontitis is localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP), a condition to which individuals of African origin demonstrate an increased susceptibility. The main causative organism of this disease is Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. A member of the Pasteurellaceae, A. actinomycetemcomitans produces a number of interesting putative virulence factors including (a) an RTX leukotoxin that targets only neutrophils and monocytes and whose action is influenced by a novel type IV secretion system involved in bacterial adhesion; (b) the newly discovered toxin, cytolethal distending toxin (CDT); and (c) a secreted chaperonin 60 with potent leukocyte-activating and bone resorbing activities. This organism also produces a plethora of proteins able to inhibit eukaryotic cell cycle progression and proteins and peptides that can induce distinct forms of proinflammatory cytokine networks. A range of other proteins interacting with the host is currently being uncovered. In addition to these secreted factors, A. actinomycetemcomitans is invasive with an unusual mechanism for entering, and traveling within, eukaryotic cells. This review focuses on recent advances in our understanding of the molecular and cellular pathogenicity of this fascinating oral bacterium.

Targeting clusters of transferred genes in Thermotoga maritima

We screened a Thermotoga sp. strain RQ2 lambda library for genes present in that strain but absent from the closely related completely sequenced relative Thermotoga maritima strain MSB8, by using probes generated in an earlier genomic subtraction study. Five lambda insert fragments were sequenced, containing, respectively, an archaeal type ATPase operon, rhamnose biosynthetic genes, ORFs with similarity to an arabinosidase, a Thermotoga sp. strain RQ2-specific alcohol dehydrogenase and a novel archaeal Mut-S homologue. All but one of these fragments contained additional Thermotoga sp. strain RQ2-specific sequences not screened for, suggesting that many such strain-specific genes will be found clustered in the genome. Moreover, phylogenetic analyses, phylogenetic distribution and/or G + C content suggests that all the Thermotoga sp. strain RQ2 specific sequences in the sequenced lambda clones have been acquired by lateral gene transfer. We suggest that the use of strain-specific small insert clones obtained by subtractive hybridization to target larger inserts for sequencing is an efficient, economical way to identify environmentally (or clinically) relevant interstrain differences and novel gene clusters, and will be invaluable in comparative genomics.

Outer membrane protein 100, a versatile virulence factor of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) is one of the pathogenic bacteria involved in periodontal diseases. We have previously identified six major outer membrane proteins (Omps) of Aa Y4. Among them is an Omp with high molecular mass, designated Omp100, which has homology to a variety of virulence factors. Electron microscopic observation indicated that Omp100 is randomly localized on the cell surface of Aa. Aa Y4 has been shown to adhere and invade KB or normal human gingival keratinocytes. Anti-Omp100 antibody inhibited 50% of adhesion and 70% of invasion of Aa Y4 to KB cells. An Omp100 knock-out mutant had a decreased adhesion and invasion efficiency of 60%, compared with that of the wild type. Escherichia coli HB101 expressing Omp100 adhered twofold and invaded 10-fold more than the wild-type E. coli HB101. HB101 expressing Omp100 showed resistance to serum by trapping factor H, an inhibitor for C3b, with Omp100. Omp100 induced inflammatory cytokine responses of interleukin (IL)-8, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)alpha in epithelial cells, and induced IL-1beta and TNFalpha production in mouse macrophages. These results indicate that Omp100 is a versatile virulence factor that may demonstrate potential significance in the onset of periodontal diseases related to Aa.

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans serotype d-specific antigen contains the O antigen of lipopolysaccharide

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is a gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic bacterium which is associated especially with aggressive forms of periodontitis. Contradictory results on the localization of the A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype-specific antigen have been reported. The aim of the present study was to characterize the A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype d-specific antigen. The antigen was isolated by affinity chromatography. The affinity column was prepared from immunoglobulin G isolated from rabbit antiserum raised against A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype d. The isolated antigen was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blotting, and silver staining, all of which revealed a ladder-like structure typical for the O antigen of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In a displacement enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the isolated antigen displaced in a concentration-dependent manner the binding of the polyclonal rabbit antiserum raised against A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype d to the competing whole-cell serotype d antigen. The isolated antigen contained LPS, and an equal concentration of LPS isolated from A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype d gave a similar displacement curve in the ELISA. In order to test the immunogenic properties of the isolated antigen, it was used to immunize a rabbit. The antiserum raised against the isolated antigen displayed specificity in Western blotting and ELISA similar to that of antibody raised against LPS isolated from A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype d. In conclusion, our results show that the A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype d-specific antigen contains the O-antigenic structure of LPS.

Solution structure of Vibrio cholerae protein VC0424: a variation of the ferredoxin-like fold

The structure of Vibrio cholerae protein VC0424 was determined by NMR spectroscopy. VC0424 belongs to a conserved family of bacterial proteins of unknown function (COG 3076). The structure has an alpha-beta sandwich architecture consisting of two layers: a four-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet and three side-by-side alpha-helices. The secondary structure elements have the order alphabetaalphabetabetaalphabeta along the sequence. This fold is the same as the ferredoxin-like fold, except with an additional long N-terminal helix, making it a variation on this common motif. A cluster of conserved surface residues on the beta-sheet side of the protein forms a pocket that may be important for the biological function of this conserved family of proteins.

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans serotype b lipopolysaccharide mediates coaggregation with Fusobacterium nucleatum

Purified Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans serotype b lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was found to be able to bind Fusobacterium nucleatum cells and to inhibit binding of F. nucleatum to A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b. Sugar binding studies showed that the requirements for binding of A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b LPS to the F. nucleatum lectin are the presence of a metal divalent ion, an axial free hydroxyl group at position 4, and free equatorial hydroxyl groups at positions 3 and 6 of D-galactose, indicating that the beta-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine in the serotype b LPS trisaccharide repeating unit is the monosaccharide residue recognized by the F. nucleatum lectin. These data strongly suggest that A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b LPS is one of the receptors responsible for the lactose-inhibitable coaggregation of A. actinomycetemcomitans to fusobacteria.

Distribution of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans serotypes and Porphyromonas gingivalis in Japanese adults

Strains of the bacterium Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans found in the human oral cavity are divided into five serotypes, a, b, c, d, and e. In this study, A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes and Porphyromonas gingivalis were isolated from 656 subgingival sites in systemically healthy Japanese adults. A. actinomycetemcomitans was detected in 19.5% of 328 Japanese subjects, while 27.1% of subjects were positive for P. gingivalis. Of 75 A. actinomycetemcomitans-positive sites, only one serotype was detected in 39 sites (52.0%). The numbers of sites in which two different serotypes and three different serotypes were detected were 18 (25.0%) and 7 (9.3%), respectively. A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype c was detected more frequently in sites that were positive for both P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans (76.9%) than in sites that were P. gingivalis-negative and A. actinomycetemcomitans-positive (33.9%). In addition, serotype c was detected much more frequently than the other serotypes (<16%) in sites that were positive for both P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans. These findings suggest that the characteristics of serotype c may differ from those of the other serotypes. This report is the first to use PCR to describe the distribution of A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes in humans and to examine the association between the distribution of A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes and the presence of P. gingivalis.

Guanosine diphosphate-4-keto-6-deoxy-d-mannose reductase in the pathway for the synthesis of GDP-6-deoxy-d-talose in Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans

The serotype a-specific polysaccharide antigen of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is an unusual sugar, 6-deoxy-d-talose. Guanosine diphosphate (GDP)-6-deoxy-d-talose is the activated sugar nucleotide form of 6-deoxy-d-talose, which has been identified as a constituent of only a few microbial polysaccharides. In this paper, we identify two genes encoding GDP-6-deoxy-d-talose synthetic enzymes, GDP-alpha-d-mannose 4,6-dehydratase and GDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-d-mannose reductase, in the gene cluster required for the biosynthesis of serotype a-specific polysaccharide antigen from A. actinomycetemcomitans SUNYaB 75. Both gene products were produced and purified from Escherichia coli transformed with plasmids containing these genes. Their enzymatic reactants were analysed by reversed-phase HPLC (RP-HPLC). The sugar nucleotide produced from GDP-alpha-d-mannose by these enzymes was purified by RP-HPLC and identified by electrospray ionization-MS, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, and GC/MS. The results indicated that GDP-6-deoxy-d-talose is produced from GDP-alpha-d-mannose. This paper is the first report on the GDP-6-deoxy-d-talose biosynthetic pathway and the role of GDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-d-mannose reductase in the synthesis of GDP-6-deoxy-d-talose.

Structural and genetic analyses of O polysaccharide from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans serotype f

The oral bacterium Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is implicated as a causative agent of localized juvenile periodontitis (LJP). A. actinomycetemcomitans is classified into five serotypes (a to e) corresponding to five structurally and antigenically distinct O polysaccharide (O-PS) components of their respective lipopolysaccharide molecules. Serotype b has been reported to be the dominant serotype isolated from LJP patients. We determined the lipopolysaccharide O-PS structure from A. actinomycetemcomitans CU1000, a strain isolated from a 13-year-old African-American female with LJP which had previously been classified as serotype b. The O-PS of strain CU1000 consisted of a trisaccharide repeating unit composed of L-rhamnose and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose (molar ratio, 2:1) with the structure -->2)-alpha-L-Rhap-(1-3)-2-O-(beta-D-GalpNAc)-alpha-L-Rhap-(1-->* O-PS from strain CU1000 was structurally and antigenically distinct from the O-PS molecules of the five known A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes. Strain CU1000 was mutagenized with transposon IS903phikan, and three mutants that were deficient in O-PS synthesis were isolated. All three transposon insertions mapped to a single 1-kb region on the chromosome. The DNA sequence of a 13.1-kb region surrounding these transposon insertions contained a cluster of 14 open reading frames that was homologous to gene clusters responsible for the synthesis of A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b, c, and e O-PS antigens. The CU1000 gene cluster contained two genes that were not present in serotype-specific O-PS antigen clusters of the other five known A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes. These data indicate that strain CU1000 should be assigned to a new A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype, designated serotype f. A PCR assay using serotype-specific PCR primers showed that 3 out of 20 LJP patients surveyed (15%) harbored A. actinomycetemcomitans strains carrying the serotype f gene cluster. The finding of an A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype showing serological cross-reactivity with anti-serotype b-specific antiserum suggests that a reevaluation of strains previously classified as serotype b may be warranted.

Identification of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans serotypes by multiplex PCR

Oligonucleotide primers specific for gene clusters involved in the biosynthesis of serotype-specific polysaccharide antigens were designed to identify Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans serotypes a to e using the multiplex PCR. This method may be useful for serotype-specific genotyping rapidly and directly from clinical samples containing various organisms.

Genetic analysis of the gene cluster for the synthesis of serotype a-specific polysaccharide antigen in Aactinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans

The serotype a-specific polysaccharide antigen (SPA) of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans consists of 6-deoxy-D-talose. A gene cluster associated with the biosynthesis of SPA was cloned and sequenced from the chromosomal DNA of A. actinomycetemcomitans SUNYaB 75 (serotype a). This cluster consisted of 14 open reading frames. Insertional inactivation of eight genes in this cluster resulted in loss of the ability of A. actinomycetemcomitans SUNYaB 75 cells to produce the polysaccharide. A protein database search revealed that the 11 sequential genes containing these eight genes were not found in SPA-associated gene clusters of the other serotypes of A. actinomycetemcomitans. These results suggest that the gene cluster is unique to serotype a and is essential to the synthesis of the SPA.