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Secretins are oligomeric proteins that mediate the export of macromolecules across the bacterial outer membrane. The members of the secretin superfamily possess a C-terminal homology domain that is important for oligomerization and channel formation, while their N-terminal halves are thought to be involved in system-specific interactions. The XcpQ secretin of Pseudomonas spp. is a component of the type II secretion pathway. XcpQ from Pseudomonas alcaligenes is not able to functionally replace the secretin of the closely related species Pseudomonas aeruginosa. By analysis of chimeric XcpQ proteins, a region important for species-specific functioning was mapped between amino acid residues 344 and 478 in the C-terminal homology domain. Two chromosomal suppressor mutations were obtained that resulted in the proper functioning in P. aeruginosa of P. alcaligenes XcpQ and inactive hybrids. These mutations caused a defect in the synthesis of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) outer core region. Subsequent analysis of different LPS mutants showed that changes in the outer core and not the loss of O antigen caused the suppressor phenotype. High concentrations of divalent cations in the growth medium also allowed P. alcaligenes XcpQ and inactive hybrids to function properly in P. aeruginosa. Since divalent cations are known to affect the structure of LPS, this observation supports the hypothesis that LPS has a role in the functioning of secretins.

Helicobacter pylori infection causes gastric pathology such as ulcer and carcinoma. Because H. pylori is auxotrophic for cholesterol, we have explored the assimilation of cholesterol by H. pylori in infection. Here we show that H. pylori follows a cholesterol gradient and extracts the lipid from plasma membranes of epithelial cells for subsequent glucosylation. Excessive cholesterol promotes phagocytosis of H. pylori by antigen-presenting cells, such as macrophages and dendritic cells, and enhances antigen-specific T cell responses. A cholesterol-rich diet during bacterial challenge leads to T cell-dependent reduction of the H. pylori burden in the stomach. Intrinsic [alpha]-glucosylation of cholesterol abrogates phagocytosis of H. pylori and subsequent T cell activation. We identify the gene hp0421 as encoding the enzyme cholesterol-[alpha]-glucosyltransferase responsible for cholesterol glucosylation. Generation of knockout mutants lacking hp0421 corroborates the importance of cholesteryl glucosides for escaping phagocytosis, T cell activation and bacterial clearance in vivo. Thus, we propose a mechanism regulating the host-pathogen interaction whereby glucosylation of a lipid tips the scales towards immune evasion or response., Author(s): Christian Wunder (corresponding author) [1, 7, 8]; Yuri Churin [1, 8]; Florian Winau [2, 8]; Dirk Warnecke [3]; Michael Vieth [4, 7]; Buko Lindner [5]; Ulrich Zahringer [5]; Hans-Joachim [...]

Galactolipids represent the most abundant lipid class in thylakoid membranes, where oxygenic photosynthesis is performed. The identification of galactolipids at specific sites within photosynthetic complexes by x-ray crystallography implies specific roles for galactolipids during photosynthetic electron transport. The preference for galactose and not for the more abundant sugar glucose in thylakoid lipids and their specific roles in photosynthesis are not understood. Introduction of a bacterial glucosyltransferase from Chloroflexus aurantiacus into the galactolipid-deficient dgd1 mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in the accumulation of a glucose-containing lipid in the thylakoids. At the same time, the growth defect of the dgd1 mutant was complemented. However, the degree of trimerization of light-harvesting complex II and the photosynthetic quantum yield of transformed dgd1 plants were only partially restored. These results indicate that specific interactions of the galactolipid head group with photosynthetic protein complexes might explain the preference for galactose in thylakoid lipids of higher plants. Therefore, galactose in thylakoid lipids can be exchanged with glucose without severe effects on growth, but the presence of galactose is crucial to maintain maximal photosynthetic efficiency. chloroplast | galactose | glucose | lipid | glucosylgalactosyldiacylglycerol

Sepsis and septic shock are leading killers in the noncoronary intensive care unit, and they remain worldwide health concerns. The initial host defense against bacterial infections involves Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which detect and respond to microbial ligands. In addition, a coordinated response of the adrenal and immune systems is crucial for survival during severe inflammation. Previously, we demonstrated a link between the innate immune system and the endocrine stress response involving TLR-2. Like TLR-2, TLR-4 is also expressed in human and mouse adrenals. In the present work, by using a low dose of LPS to mimic systemic inflammatory response syndrome, we have revealed marked cellular alterations in adrenocortical tissue and an impaired adrenal corticosterone response in TLR-[4.sup.-/-] mice. Our findings demonstrate that TLR-4 is a key mediator in the crosstalks between the innate immune system and the endocrine stress response. Furthermore, TLR polymorphisms could contribute to the underlying mechanisms of impaired adrenal stress response in patients with bacterial sepsis. lipopolysaccharide | stress axis | sepsis | corticoids | mice

Author(s): Kasper Hoebe [1]; Philippe Georgel [1]; Sophie Rutschmann [1]; Xin Du [1]; Suzanne Mudd [1]; Karine Crozat [1]; Sosathya Sovath [1]; Louis Shamel [1]; Thomas Hartung [2]; Ulrich Zähringer [...]

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are cell-surface components of Gram-negative bacteria and are microbe-/pathogen-associated molecular patterns in animal pathosystems. As for plants, the molecular mechanisms of signal transduction in response to LPS are not known. Here, we show that Arabidopsis thaliana reacts to LPS with a rapid burst of NO, a hallmark of innate immunity in animals. Fifteen LPS preparations (among them Burkholderia cepacia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Erwinia carotovora) as well as lipoteichoic acid from Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus were found to trigger NO production in suspension-cultured Arabidopsis cells as well as in leaves. NO was detected by confocal laser-scanning microscopy in conjunction with the fluorophore 4-amino-5-methylamino-2',7'-difluorofluorescein diacetate, by electron paramagnetic resonance, and by a NO synthase (NOS) assay. The source of NO was addressed by using T-DNA insertion lines. Interestingly, LPS did not activate the pathogen-inducible varP NOS, but AtNOS1, a distinct NOS previously associated with hormonal signaling in plants. A prominent feature of LPS treatment was activation of defense genes, which proved to be mediated by NO. Northern analyses and transcription profiling by using DNA microarrays revealed induction of defense-associated genes both locally and systemically. Finally, AtNOS1 mutants showed dramatic susceptibility to the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. In sum, perception of LPS and induction of NOS contribute toward the activation of plant defense responses.

Although the role of Toll-like receptors in extracellular bacterial sensing has been investigated intensively, intracellular detection of bacteria through Nod molecules remains largely uncharacterized. Here, we show that human Nod1 specifically detects a unique diaminopimelate-containing N-acetylglucosamine-N-acetylmuramic acid (GlcNAc-MurNAc) tripeptide motif found in Gram-negative bacterial peptidoglycan, resulting in activation of the transcription factor NF-κB pathway. Moreover, we show that in epithelial cells (which represent the first line of defense against invasive pathogens), Nod1 is indispensable for intracellular Gram-negative bacterial sensing., Innate immunity to bacterial pathogens relies on the specific sensing of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by pattern recognition molecules. In mammals, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) represent the most extensively studied class [...]

Research has been conducted on lipopolysaccharide isolated from serum-sensitive Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917. The structural analysis of this lipopolysaccharide has demonstrated that it contains a bisphosphorylated hexaacyl lipid A and a tetrasaccharide and that lipopolysaccharide is important for E. coli serum sensitivity and resistance.

Research has been conducted on the putative gene that encodes O-acetyl transferase and is involved in the O-polysaccharide biosynthesis in Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 strains. The effect of the gene's presence and absence on the O-polysaccharide O-acetylation from Philadelphia 1 strain has been investigated.

Chemical analysis of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Legionella hackeliae serogroup 1, Legionella feeleii serogroup 1 and Legionella jordanis reveals that the LPS from all the three Legionella have D-glucose, D-glucosamine, glycerol and D-mannose. The L-fucosamine and L-quinovose is also found in Legionella feeleii. All three LPS have phosphorylated sugars with the lipid A part being 2,3-diamino-2,3-dideoxy-D-glucose. The sugars have a complex fatty acid chain whose length is in the range of 12 to 23 carbon atoms.

The primary structure of the lipid A component of the lipopolysaccharide of Neisseria meningitidis was elucidated. Analyses showed that meningococcal lipid A consists of a beta-D-glucosaminyl-(1'-6)-D-glucosamine disaccharide backbone with ester- and amide-linked 3-hydroxy fatty acids. It also contains amide-bound (R)-3-acyloxyacyl groups. The phosphate groups are substituted nonstoichiometrically by O-phosphorylethanolamine. The meningococcal lipid A differs from Escherichia coli-type lipid A in the location and chain lengths of acyl groups, and exhibits a highly symmetrical structure with regard to the distribution of both fatty acids and polar phosphate groups.

Research has been conducted on Euglena gracilis docosahexaenoic acid. The authors have investigated the ability of E. gracilis to be the source for cloning cDNA which encodes Delta4-fatty acyl group desaturase.

Reports on the elucidation of complete structure of glycosphingolipids (GSL) isolated from gram-negative bacteria Sphingomonas capsulata lipopolysaccharide. Methanolysis and sugar analysis of GSL-3; Chemical shifts of GSL-3; Negative ion mode laser desorption mass spectra of GSL-3.

Examines the structure of an alanine-lacking core tetrasaccharide triphosphate from the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutant H4. Isolation and characterization of LPS; Analysis of core tetrasaccharide triphosphate; Use of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

On short treatment of the lipopolysaccharide of a deep rough mutant of Proteus mirabilis (strain R45) with hydrochloric acid (0.01 M, 10 min, 100°C) a compound was released which, on high-voltage paper electrophoresis, migrated slightly to the cathode (MGlcN = 0.19) and which stained with ninhydrin, alkaline silver nitrate and in the thiobarbituric acid assay. After purification and derivatization, its chemical structure was identified by combined gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and two-dimensional shift-correlated proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as 8-O-(4-amino-4-deoxy-β-L-arabinopyranosyl)-3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid. This disaccharide was also present in a wild-type strain of P. mirabilis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastidial glycolipids contain diacylglycerol (DAG) moieties, which are either synthesized in the plastids (prokaryotic lipids) or originate in the extraplastidial compartment (eukaryotic lipids) necessitating their transfer into plastids. In contrast, the only phospholipid in plastids, phosphatidyl-glycerol (PG), contains exclusively prokaryotic DAG backbones. PG contributes in several ways to the functions of chloroplasts, but it is not known to what extent its prokaryotic nature is required to fulfill these tasks. As a first step toward answering this question, we produced transgenic tobacco plants that contain eukaryotic PG in thylakoids. This was achieved by targeting a bacterial DAG kinase into chloroplasts in which the heterologous enzyme was also incorporated into the envelope fraction. From lipid analysis we conclude that the DAG kinase phosphorylated eukaryotic DAG forming phosphatidic acid, which was converted into PG. This resulted in PG with 2-3 times more eukaryotic than prokaryotic DAG backbones. In the newly formed PG the unique Δ3-trans-double bond, normally confined to 3-trans-hexadecenoic acid, was also found in sn-2-bound cis-unsaturated C18 fatty acids. In addition, a lipidomics technique allowed the characterization of phosphatidic acid, which is assumed to be derived from eukaryotic DAG precursors in the chloroplasts of the transgenic plants. The differences in lipid composition had only minor effects on measured functions of the photosynthetic apparatus, whereas the most obvious phenotype was a significant reduction in growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus are predatory bacteria that penetrate Gram-negative bacteria and grow intraperiplasmically at the expense of the prey. It was suggested that B. bacteriovorus partially degrade and reutilize lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of the host, thus synthesizing an outer membrane containing structural elements of the prey. According to this hypothesis a host-independent mutant should possess a chemically different LPS. Therefore, the lipopolysaccharides of B. bacteriovorus HD100 and its host-independent derivative B. bacteriovorus HI100 were isolated and characterized by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, immunoblotting, and mass spectrometry. LPS of both strains were identified as smooth-form LPS with different repeating units. The lipid As were isolated after mild acid hydrolysis and their structures were determined by chemical analysis, by mass spectrometric methods, and by NMR spectroscopy. Both lipid As were characterized by an unusual chemical structure, consisting of a beta-(1-->6)-linked 2,3-diamino-2,3-dideoxy-d-glucopyranose disaccharide carrying six fatty acids that were all hydroxylated. Instead of phosphate groups substituting position O-1 of the reducing and O-4' of the nonreducing end alpha-d-mannopyranose residues were found in these lipid As. Thus, they represent the first lipid As completely missing negatively charged groups. A reduced endotoxic activity as determined by cytokine induction from human macrophages was shown for this novel structure. Only minor differences with respect to fatty acids were detected between the lipid As of the host-dependent wild type strain HD100 and for its host-independent derivative HI100. From the results of the detailed analysis it can be concluded that the wild type strain HD100 synthesizes an innate LPS.

The acidic (glyco)lipids of the parasitic liver fluke Fasciola hepatica exhibited two different phosphate-containing species, designated AL-I and AL-II, which were analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS, ESI MS, NMR, methylation analysis, and combined GC-MS in conjunction with HF treatment. AL-I was structurally determined as 1-O-hexadecyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphoinositol, an ether bond variant of lysophosphatidylinositol. The structure of AL-II was shown to be GlcNAcalpha1-HPO3-6Gal(1-1)ceramide. Ceramide analysis revealed as major components 2-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid [18:0(2-OH)] together with C18- and C20-phytosphingosines. AL-II was apparently highly antigenic and strongly recognized by both animal- and human-F. hepatica infection sera. Furthermore, inhibition ELISAs revealed that the unusual antigenic determinant GlcNAcalpha1-HPO3- phosphate might have a potential in the serodiagnosis of F. hepatica infections.