title: The identification a novel gene required for lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis by Haemophilus influenzae RM7004, using transposon Tn916 mutagenesis.
abstract: Mutagenesis with the transposon Tn916 was used as a strategy to identify genes required for synthesis of the Gal alpha (1-4) beta Gal component of Haemophilus influenzae strain RM7004 lipopolysaccharide. Insertion of Tn916 into an open reading frame (ORF) encoding a protein with 75% homology to the Escherichia coli methionine related protein (Mrp) is described. Mutations in mrp resulted in loss of reactivity with monoclonal antibody (mAb) 4C4, which recognises Gal alpha (1-4) beta Gal, and expression of LPS with a different electrophoretic profile to that of wild-type RM7004. An unexpected feature of this mutation was that it appeared to influence the number of copies of 5'-CAAT-3' present in lic2A, a gene which is also required for biosynthesis and phase variable expression of the Gal alpha (1-4) beta Gal LPS epitope.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, UK.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: High
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Deadman
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Hood
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Moxon
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis / Q000502:physiology; D010957:Plasmids; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides