Phase variable changes in genes lgtA and lgtC within the lgtABCDE operon of Neisseria gonorrhoeae can modulate gonococcal susceptibility to normal human serum.
The alpha-chain of the core oligosaccharide of the lipo-oligosaccharide (LOS) produced by Neisseria gonorrhoeae can undergo reversible and rapid changes in structure due to phase-variable production of certain enzymes employed in the biosynthesis of the lacto-N-neotetraose structure. Five of these enzymes are encoded by the lgtABCDE operon, and polynucleotide tracts within three of these genes (lgtA, lgtC and lgtD) can be substrates for slipped-strand mispairing events that lead to nucleotide insertions or deletion events which result in variable production of their respective gene products. We now report that phase-variable synthesis of the lgtA and lgtC gene products in strain FA19 results in the production of elongated LOS alpha-chains and that the presence of these LOS species can result in gonococci being sensitive to the bacteriolytic action of serum-antibody and complement. Hence, phase variation within the lgtABCDE operon can significantly impact the ability of gonococci to subvert this important host defense system.
Shafer
William M
WM
Laboratories of Bacterial Pathogenesis, Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Atlanta), Decatur, Georgia 30333, USA. wshafer@emory.edu
Datta
Anup
A
Kolli
V S Kumar
VS
Rahman
M Mahbubur
MM
Balthazar
Jacqueline T
JT
Martin
Larry E
LE
Veal
Wendy L
WL
Stephens
David S
DS
Carlson
Russell
R
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001770:Blood Bactericidal Activity; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017351:N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D009876:Operon / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014774:Virulence
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D016695:Glycosyltransferases; C101829:LgtC protein, Neisseria; C401409:LgtA protein, bacteria; D017351:N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases