title: Biosynthesis and assembly of Group 1 capsular polysaccharides in Escherichia coli and related extracellular polysaccharides in other bacteria.
abstract: Extracellular and capsular polysaccharides (EPSs and CPSs) are produced by a wide range of bacteria, including important pathogens of humans, livestock, and plants. These polymers are major surface antigens and serve a variety of roles in virulence, depending on the biology of the producing organism. In addition to their importance in disease, some EPSs also have industrial applications as gelling and emulsifying agents. An understanding of the processes involved in the synthesis and regulation of CPSs and EPSs therefore potentially contributes to an understanding of the disease state, surface expression of protective antigens, and modulation of polymer structure to give defined physical properties. Escherichia coli has provided important model systems for EPS and CPS biosynthesis. Here we describe current knowledge concerning assembly of the Group 1 CPSs of E. coli and the conservation of similar mechanisms in other bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1. cwhitfie@uoguelph.ca
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Whitfield
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paiment
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000737:chemistry; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D045703:Emulsifying Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry*; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry*; D021381:Protein Transport
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D045703:Emulsifying Agents; C030659:K antigens; D011108:Polymers; D011134:Polysaccharides; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; C119204:streptococcal protective antigen