title: Binding of Haemophilus ducreyi to carbohydrate receptors is mediated by the 58.5-kDa GroEL heat shock protein.
abstract: The bacterium Haemophilus ducreyi causes the sexually transmitted disease chancroid, which is characterized by the appearance of mucocutaneous, persistent ulcers on the external genitals. To identify carbohydrate receptors that mediate the attachment of this pathogen to host cells, we investigated the binding of 35S-methionine-labeled H. ducreyi strains to a panel of defined glycosphingolipids that were separated on thin layer chromatography plates. H. ducreyi bound to lactosylceramide, gangliotriaosylceramide, gangliotetraosylceramide, neolactotetraosylceramide, the GM3 ganglioside, and sulfatide. To elucidate the role of the surface-located 58.5-kDa GroEL heat shock protein (HSP) of H. ducreyi in attachment, we investigated the binding of purified HSP to the same panel of glycosphingolipids. Our results suggest that the 58.5-kDa GroEL HSP of H. ducreyi is responsible for the attachment of this bacterium to the majority of the tested glycosphingolipids, and thus represents a potential bacterial adhesin.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Göteborg University, PO Box 435, SE-40530, Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pantzar
authors.forename: Susann
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Teneberg
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lagergård
mesh_terms: D001287:Attachment Sites, Microbiological / Q000502:physiology; D001665:Binding Sites; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002602:Chancroid / Q000382:microbiology; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000378:metabolism*; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer / Q000379:methods; D005679:G(M3) Ganglioside / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D006191:Haemophilus ducreyi / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013433:Sulfoglycosphingolipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018834:Chaperonin 60; D005679:G(M3) Ganglioside; D006028:Glycosphingolipids; D013433:Sulfoglycosphingolipids