title: Structural basis of the abscess-modulating polysaccharide A2 from Bacteroides fragilis.
abstract: Zwitterionic capsular polysaccharides from pathogenic bacteria have peculiar immunological properties. They are capable of eliciting T-cell proliferation and modulating the course of abscess formation. To understand the molecular basis of this characteristic immune response, we are conducting detailed structure-function studies on these polysaccharides. We have identified, purified, and characterized an abscess-modulating polysaccharide, PS A2, from the clinical strain Bacteroides fragilis 638R. Here, we report the elucidation of both the chemical and three-dimensional structures of PS A2 by NMR spectroscopy, chemical methods, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and restrained molecular dynamics calculations. PS A2 consists of a pentasaccharide repeating unit containing mannoheptose, N-acetylmannosamine, 3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxyglucose, 2-amino-4-acetamido-2,4,6-trideoxygalactose, fucose, and 3-hydroxybutanoic acid. PS A2 is zwitterionic and carries one cationic free amine and one anionic carboxylate in each repeating unit. It forms an extended right-handed helix with two repeating units per turn and a pitch of 20 A. Positive and negative charges are exposed on the outer surface of the polymer in a regularly spaced pattern, which renders them easily accessible to other molecules. The helix is characterized by repeated large grooves whose lateral boundaries are occupied by the charges. The three-dimensional structure of PS A2 explicitly suggests mechanisms of interaction between zwitterionic polysaccharides and proteins.
authors: Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. ywang@channing.harvard.edu
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: W M
authors: WM
authors: Kalka-Moll
authors: M H
authors: MH
authors: Roehrl
authors: D L
authors: DL
authors: Kasper
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000382:microbiology*; D001441:Bacteroides fragilis / Q000737:chemistry*; D002236:Carbohydrate Conformation; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial