Elsevier

Microbial Pathogenesis

Volume 27, Issue 2, August 1999, Pages 105-117
Microbial Pathogenesis

Regular Article
Genetic organization of the lipopolysaccharide O-antigen biosynthetic locus of Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Hardjobovis

https://doi.org/10.1006/mpat.1999.0285Get rights and content

Abstract

Leptospiral LPS plays a critical role in immunity to leptospirosis and forms the basis for serological classification of Leptospira . However, neither the structure of leptospiral LPS nor the genetics of its biosynthesis have been elucidated. A probe derived from the rhamnose biosynthetic genes of L. interrogans serovar Copenhageni was used to identify the rfb locus of L. borgpetersenii serovar Hardjobovis. Chromosome walking and sequence analysis revealed an rfb locus spanning 36.7 kb, which consists of 31 ORFs transcribed in the same direction. Clusters of genes were identified which encode proteins related to enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of activated sugars including rhamnose. Additional ORFs in the locus encode glycosyltransferases for the assembly of the O-antigen subunit and integral membrane proteins for the transport of O-antigen subunits through the membrane and assembly into LPS.

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      Differences in the sugar composition and orientation of LPS are the key features that distinguish the different serovars (Adler, 2015). It is noteworthy that the serological classification has no correspondence with taxonomic classification (Faine et al., 1999; Kalambaheti et al., 1999; Mitchison et al., 1997). We could find different Leptospira species classified in the same serovar, e.g. the strains of srv Hardjo (srg Sejroe) has representatives of species Li and L. borgpetersenii (Lb) (Faine et al., 1999), and also a Leptospira species classified in different serovars.

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    Author for correspondence: Ben Adler, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton VIC 3168, Australia.

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