title: Genetic analysis of the gene cluster responsible for synthesis of serotype e-specific polysaccharide antigen in Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans.
abstract: A gene cluster associated with the biosynthesis of the serotype e-specific polysaccharide antigen (SPA) of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans IDH1705 belonging to serotype e was cloned and sequenced. This cluster consisted of 18 open reading frames. Escherichia coli produced the polysaccharide that reacts with the serotype e-specific antiserum when transformed with a plasmid containing the cluster. Comparing the structure of the gene cluster with similar clusters from A. actinomycetemcomitans strains Y4 (serotype b) and NCTC9710 (serotype c) revealed that a 5.3-kb region containing the distal half of one gene and two entire genes in the cluster from strain IDH1705 replaced a 6.2-kb region containing eight genes in the cluster from strain Y4, and a 4.7-kb region containing four genes in the cluster from strain NCTC9710. These results suggest that this region is essential to the antigenic specificity of serotype e A. actinomycetemcomitans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Dentistry, Kyushu University Faculty of Dentistry, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koga
mesh_terms: D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D017931:DNA Primers; D011134:Polysaccharides