title: Variation in 12 porcine genes involved in the carbohydrate moiety assembly of glycosphingolipids does not account for differential binding of F4 Escherichia coli and their fimbriae.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) are important membrane components composed of a carbohydrate structure attached to a hydrophobic ceramide. They can serve as specific membrane receptors for microbes and microbial products, such as F4 Escherichia coli (F4 ETEC) and isolated F4 fimbriae. The aim of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that variation in genes involved in the assembly of the F4 binding carbohydrate moiety of GSLs (i.e. ARSA, B4GALT6, GAL3ST1, GALC, GBA, GLA, GLB1, GLB1L, NEU1, NEU2, UGCG, UGT8) could account for differential binding of F4 ETEC and their fimbriae.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RT-PCR could not reveal any differential expression of the 12 genes in the jejunum of F4 receptor-positive (F4R(+)) and F4 receptor-negative (F4R(-)) pigs. Sequencing the complete open reading frame of the 11 expressed genes (NEU2 was not expressed) identified 72 mutations. Although some of them might have a structural effect, none of them could be associated with a F4R phenotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that no regulatory or structural variation in any of the investigated genes is responsible for the genetic susceptibility of pigs towards F4 ETEC.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium. Tiphanie.Goetstouwers@Ugent.be.
authors.forename: Tiphanie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Goetstouwers
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium. Mario.Vanpouke@Ugent.be.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Poucke
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium. Anndelies.Coddens@telenet.be.
authors.forename: Annelies
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coddens
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium. Nguyen.VanUt@UGent.be.
authors.forename: Van Ut
authors.initials: VU
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium. Vesna.Melkebeek@Ugent.be.
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Melkebeek
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Harelbekestraat 72, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. Dieter.Deforce@Ugent.be.
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deforce
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium. Eric.Cox@Ugent.be.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium. Luc.Peelman@Ugent.be.
authors.forename: Luc J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Peelman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology*; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006031:Glycosylation; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D008871:Microvilli / Q000382:microbiology; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D006028:Glycosphingolipids; D016695:Glycosyltransferases