Analysis of a capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis locus of Bacteroides fragilis.

ABSTRACT: A major clinical manifestation of infection with Bacteroides fragilis is the formation of intra-abdominal abscesses, which are induced by the capsular polysaccharides of this organism. Transposon mutagenesis was used to locate genes involved in the synthesis of capsular polysaccharides. A 24,454-bp region was sequenced and found to contain a 15,379-bp locus (designated wcf) with 16 open reading frames (ORFs) encoding products similar to those encoded by genes of other bacterial polysaccharide biosynthesis loci. Four genes encode products that are similar to enzymes involved in nucleotide sugar biosynthesis. Seven genes encode products that are similar to sugar transferases. Two gene products are similar to O-acetyltransferases, and two products are probably involved in polysaccharide trans

SUBMITTER: Comstock LE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC116540 | biostudies-literature | 1999 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature