title: Heterodisaccharide 4-O-(N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminyl)-D-glucosamine is an effective chemotactic attractant for Vibrio bacteria that produce chitin oligosaccharide deacetylase.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the attractant effect of 4-O-(N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminyl)-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc-GlcN) in the chemotaxis of Vibrio bacteria that produce carbohydrate esterase (CE) family 4 chitin oligosaccharide deacetylase (COD), an enzyme that catalyzes the production of GlcNAc-GlcN from N,N'-diacetylchitobiose (GlcNAc)(2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The chemotactic effect of disaccharides from chitin on several strains of Vibrio bacteria was investigated using an agar gel lane-migration method. The results demonstrated that GlcNAc-GlcN functions as an effective chemoattractant in the CE family 4 COD-producing vibrios, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio alginolyticus. In contrast, this phenomenon was not observed in Vibrio nereis or Vibrio furnissii, which lack genes encoding this enzyme. From transmission electron microscope observation of V. parahaemolyticus cells following the chemotaxis assay, GlcNAc-GlcN appears to stimulate polar flagellum rotation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GlcNAc-GlcN is a specific chemoattractant for the CE family 4 COD-producing vibrios, V. parahaemolyticus and V. alginolyticus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was clarified for the first time that GlcNAc-GlcN functions as a signalling molecule in the chemotaxis of Vibrio bacteria that have an ability to produce CE family 4 COD, which generate GlcNAc-GlcN from (GlcNAc)(2).
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Life Science, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kadokura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kumaki
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hakamata
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oku
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishio
mesh_terms: D000581:Amidohydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002384:Catalysis; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D002633:Chemotaxis; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000378:metabolism; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000378:metabolism; D014733:Vibrio / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C568829:4-O-(N-acetylglucosaminyl)glucosamine; D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D004187:Disaccharides; D009844:Oligosaccharides; C010913:N,N-diacetylchitobiose; D000581:Amidohydrolases; C019866:chitin deacetylase; D005944:Glucosamine