title: Molecular cloning of the genes for lipid A disaccharide synthase and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine acyltransferase in Escherichia coli.
abstract: Several enzymes have been discovered recently in crude extracts of Escherichia coli that appear to be involved in the biosynthesis of the lipid A component of lipopolysaccharide. Two of these are lipid A disaccharide synthase and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine acyltransferase. Lipid A disaccharide synthase activity is barely detectable in cells harboring a lesion in the lpxB (pgsB) gene. We subcloned the lpxB gene from plasmid pLC26-43 of the Clarke and Carbon collection (L. Clarke and J. Carbon, Cell 9:91-99, 1976) and localized it to a 1.7-kilobase-pair fragment of DNA counterclockwise of dnaE on the E. coli chromosome. Furthermore, we discovered a new gene (lpxA) located adjacent to and counterclockwise of lpxB that encodes or controls UDP-N-acetylglucosamine acyltransferase. Our data prove that lpxB and lpxA are transcribed in the clockwise direction and suggest that they may be cotranscribed.
mesh_terms: D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D005796:Genes; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006602:Hexosyltransferases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D008050:Lipid A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017351:N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases; D010957:Plasmids; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D008050:Lipid A; D000217:Acyltransferases; C050304:acyl-(acyl-carrier-protein)-UDP-N-acetylglucosamine acyltransferase; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D017351:N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases; C050305:lipid A disaccharide synthase