title: Characteristic cellular fatty acid composition and an ornithine-containing lipid as a new type of hemagglutinin in Bordetella pertussis.
abstract: The fatty acid composition of the total extractable cellular lipids of Bordetella pertussis was very characteristic and was mostly hexadecenoic and hexadecanoic acids (90%) in a ratio of about 1:1. The fatty acid composition of Bordetella parapertussis and Bordetella bronchiseptica differed from that of B. pertussis. The two species were distinguished by the fatty acid composition of cell-bound lipids. The ornithine-containing lipid was characteristic of the genus Bordetella and its main structure was 3-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid amide-linked to ornithine and esterified to the second hexadecanoic acid. The lipid agglutinated human and some animal erythrocytes. The lipid is a new type of hemagglutinin and we proposed that hemagglutination occurred mainly by the hydrophobic interaction between the lipid moiety of the ornithine-containing lipid and phosphatidylcholine in the cell membrane of the erythrocytes. A relatively high content of ornithine-containing lipid was also found in opportunistic pathogens such as Flavobacterium meningosepticum which causes meningitis in babies and children. As the pathogenicity of the opportunistic pathogens is unclear, the ornithine-containing lipid may have an important role in pathogenicity.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawai
mesh_terms: D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000032:analysis*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D009952:Ornithine / Q000032:analysis; D010169:Palmitic Acids / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D008055:Lipids; D010169:Palmitic Acids; D009952:Ornithine