Dataset Information

Conserved organization in the cps gene clusters for expression of Escherichia coli group 1 K antigens: relationship to the colanic acid biosynthesis locus and the cps genes from Klebsiella pneumoniae.

ABSTRACT: Group 1 capsules of Escherichia coli are similar to the capsules produced by strains of Klebsiella spp. in terms of structure, genetics, and patterns of expression. The striking similarities between the capsules of these organisms prompted a more detailed investigation of the cps loci encoding group 1 capsule synthesis. Six strains of K. pneumoniae and 12 strains of E. coli were examined. PCR analysis showed that the clusters in these strains are conserved in their chromosomal locations. A highly conserved block of four genes, orfX-wza-wzb-wzc, was identified in all of the strains. The wza and wzc genes are required for translocation and surface assembly of E. coli K30 antigen. The conservation of these genes points to a common pathway for capsule translocation. A characteristic JUMPstart sequence was identified upstream of each cluster which may function in conjunction with RfaH to inhibit transcriptional termination at a stem-loop structure found immediately downstream of the "translocation-surface assembly" region of the cluster. Interestingly, the sequence upstream of the cps clusters in five E. coli strains and one Klebsiella strain indicated the presence of IS elements. We propose that the IS elements were responsible for the transfer of the cps locus between organisms and that they may continue to mediate recombination between strains.

SUBMITTER: Rahn A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC93651 | biostudies-literature | 1999 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Conserved organization in the cps gene clusters for expression of Escherichia coli group 1 K antigens: relationship to the colanic acid biosynthesis locus and the cps genes from Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Rahn A A Drummelsmith J J Whitfield C C

Journal of bacteriology 19990401 7

Group 1 capsules of Escherichia coli are similar to the capsules produced by strains of Klebsiella spp. in terms of structure, genetics, and patterns of expression. The striking similarities between the capsules of these organisms prompted a more detailed investigation of the cps loci encoding group 1 capsule synthesis. Six strains of K. pneumoniae and 12 strains of E. coli were examined. PCR analysis showed that the clusters in these strains are conserved in their chromosomal locations. A highl ...[more]

PMID: 10094716

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Project description:The genomic organization of the chromosomal cps region that is responsible for capsular polysaccharide synthesis in Klebsiella pneumoniae Chedid (O1:K2) was investigated. Deletion analyses and Southern hybridization studies suggested that the central region of the cloned 29-kb BamHI fragment is indispensable for K2 capsular polysaccharide synthesis. The 24,329-bp nucleotide sequence of the Klebsiella cps region was determined and deposited in the EMBL and GenBank databases through DDBJ and assigned accession number D21242. Nineteen possible open reading frames (ORFs) were identified in the sequenced area. Among them, 13 ORFs are very close to each other. Six of the 19 ORFs show considerable nucleotide sequence similarities to Salmonella typhimurium cpsG, cpsB, rfbP, and orf2.8, Escherichia coli gnd, and Haemophilus influenzae bexD, respectively. Moreover, the deduced amino acid sequence of the ORF10 product demonstrated a highly hydrophobic profile and showed putative membrane topology similarity to Rickettsia prowazekii ATP/ADP translocase. Nucleotide sequence similar to the sigma 54-dependent promoter, as well as the usual -35 and -10 sequences, were identified just upstream of ORF3, which is the first ORF in the polycistronic structure. Furthermore, a sequence (GGGCGGTAGCGT) found just downstream of the sigma 54-dependent promoter-like sequence was generally conserved among gene clusters implicated in cell surface polysaccharide synthesis, such as Salmonella rfb and viaB and E. coli kpsMT and rfaQPG. A possible transcriptional terminator with a hairpin loop structure found just downstream of ORF15 that is a homolog of E. coli gnd. K2 capsular polsaccharide biosynthesis in E. coli K-12 depends on cpsB (mannose-1-phosphate guanyltransferase gene), and Klebsiella cpsB, found in the downstream region of the polycistronic structure, was able to complement cpsB of E. coli. Results of transposon insertion and promoter-cloning analyses were consistent with the results of nucleotide sequence analysis.

Project description:The lipopolysaccharide O antigens of Klebsiella pneumoniae serotype O1 and Serratia marcescens serotype O16 both contain a repeating unit disaccharide of [-->3)-beta-D-Galf-(1-->3)-alpha-D-Galp-(1-->]; the resulting polymer is known as D-galactan I. In K. pneumoniae serotype O1, the genes responsible for the synthesis of D-galactan I are found in the rfb gene cluster (rfbKpO1). We report here the cloning and analysis of the rfb cluster from S. marcescens serotype O16 (rfbSmO16). This is the first rfb gene cluster examined for the genus Serratia. Synthesis of D-galactan I is an rfe-dependent process for both K. pneumoniae serotype O1 and S. marcescens serotype O16. Hybridization experiments with probes derived from each of the six rfbKpO1 genes indicate that the cloned rfbSmO16 cluster contains homologous genes arranged in the same order. However, the degree of homology at the nucleotide sequence level was sufficiently low that hybridization was detected only under low-stringency conditions. rfbABSmO16 genes were subcloned and shown to encode an ABC-2 (ATP-binding cassette) transporter which is functionally identical to the one encoded by the corresponding rfb genes from K. pneumoniae serotype O1. The amino acid sequences of the predicted RfbA and RfbB homologs showed identities of 75.7% (87.9% total similarity) and 78.0% (86.5% total similarity), respectively. The last gene of the rfbKpO1 cluster, rfbFKpO1, encodes a bifunctional galactosyltransferase which initiates the formation of D-galactan I. RfbFKpO1 and RfbFSmO16 are 57.6% identical (with 71.1% total similarity), and both show similarity with RfpB, the galactosyltransferase involved in the synthesis of Shigella dysenteriae type I O-polysaccharide. The G+C contents of the rfbAB genes from each organism are quite similar, and values are lower than those typical for the species. However, the G+C content of rfbFSmO16 (47.6%) was much higher than that of rfbFKpO1 (37.3%), despite the fact that the average for each species (52 to 60%) falls within the same range.

Dataset Information

Conserved organization in the cps gene clusters for expression of Escherichia coli group 1 K antigens: relationship to the colanic acid biosynthesis locus and the cps genes from Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Publications

Conserved organization in the cps gene clusters for expression of Escherichia coli group 1 K antigens: relationship to the colanic acid biosynthesis locus and the cps genes from Klebsiella pneumoniae.

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