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Infection and Immunity, November 2000, p. 6176-6181, Vol. 68, No. 11
0019-9567/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Bacteroides fragilis NCTC9343 Produces at Least
Three Distinct Capsular Polysaccharides: Cloning, Characterization,
and Reassignment of Polysaccharide B and C Biosynthesis
Loci
Michael J.
Coyne,1
Wiltrud
Kalka-Moll,1
Arthur O.
Tzianabos,1
Dennis L.
Kasper,1,2 and
Laurie E.
Comstock1,*
Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine,
Brigham and Women's Hospital,1 and
Department of Microbiology and Molecular
Genetics,2 Harvard Medical School, Boston,
Massachusetts 02115
Received 5 May 2000/Returned for modification 21 July 2000/Accepted 2 August 2000
Bacteroides fragilis produces a capsular polysaccharide
complex (CPC) that is directly involved in its ability to induce
abscesses. Two distinct capsular polysaccharides, polysaccharide A (PS
A) and PS B, have been shown to be synthesized by the prototype strain for the study of abscesses, NCTC9343. Both of these polysaccharides in
purified form induce abscesses in animal models. In this study, we
demonstrate that the CPC of NCTC9343 is composed of at least three
distinct capsular polysaccharides: PS A, PS B, and PS C. A previously
described locus contains genes whose products are involved in the
biosynthesis of PS C rather than PS B as was originally suggested. The
actual PS B biosynthesis locus was cloned, sequenced, and found to
contain 22 genes in an operon-type structure. A mutant with a large
chromosomal deletion of the PS B biosynthesis locus was created so that
the contribution of PS B to the formation of abscesses could be
assessed in a rodent model. Although purified PS B can induce
abscesses, removal of this polysaccharide does not attenuate the
organism's ability to induce abscesses.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Channing
Laboratory, 181 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115. Phone: (617) 525-2679. Fax: (617) 731-1541. E-mail:
lcomstock{at}channing.harvard.edu.
Infection and Immunity, November 2000, p. 6176-6181, Vol. 68, No. 11
0019-9567/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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