A glycan shield for bacterial sphingolipids.
In this issue of Chemistry & Biology, Kinjo et al. (2008) propose that the addition of oligosaccharides to the core outer membrane glycosphingolipid in Sphingomonas spp. may be an adaptation that allows bacteria to evade recognition by Natural Killer T cells, thus suggesting a remarkable process of host/pathogen coevolution.
Arora
Pooja
P
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
Porcelli
Steven A
SA
D000818:Animals; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009005:Monosaccharides / Q000737:chemistry; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D013107:Sphingolipids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D020578:Sphingomonas / Q000378:metabolism; D013499:Surface Properties; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000378:metabolism
D009005:Monosaccharides; D011134:Polysaccharides; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D013107:Sphingolipids