title: Molecular characterization of the O-acetyl transferase gene of converting bacteriophage SF6 that adds group antigen 6 to Shigella flexneri.
abstract: Bacteriophage SF6 antigenically converts Shigella flexneri serotype Y strains (-;3,4) to type 3b carrying group antigen 6,3,4 by means of an O-acetylation of the O-antigenic polysaccharide chain. The gene for O-acetyl transferase of bacteriophage SF6 has been cloned, identified and sequenced. The predicted O-acetyl transferase protein encoded by this gene was found to consist of 333 amino acids, (37,185 daltons) and to have some similarity with the galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase protein of Escherichia coli. The gene has been shown to function in a live vaccine strain of S. flexneri Y type (delta aroD), making it a 3b type. The converted type 3b strain, SFL1104, was found to elicit significant protection against challenge by both wild-type serotypes 3b and Y in a guinea-pig keratoconjunctivitis model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Bacteriology, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lindberg
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D012763:Shigella flexneri / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D005694:UTP-Hexose-1-Phosphate Uridylyltransferase / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D000123:Acetyltransferases; D005694:UTP-Hexose-1-Phosphate Uridylyltransferase