title: Export of O-specific lipopolysaccharide.
abstract: The O antigen is the most surface-exposed component of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecule and its biogenesis involves several complex mechanisms not completely well understood. All of these mechanisms involve biochemical reactions that occur on the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membrane as well as several different translocation pathways that deliver the nascent O antigens in a glycolipid form to the periplasmic side of the plasma membrane. This article discusses our current understanding of the mechanisms operating in the biogenesis of the O-specific LPS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1 Canada. mvalvano@uwo.ca
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Valvano
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D001693:Biological Transport, Active / Q000502:physiology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019081:O Antigens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D019081:O Antigens