Noncanonical lipooligosaccharide assembly in Acinetobacter baumannii is mediated by the glycosyltransferases KdoT and GnaT.

ABSTRACT: The asymmetric outer membrane is a defining feature of Gram-negative bacteria that provides essential barrier function. The inner leaflet contains glycerophospholipids whereas the outer leaflet is composed of lipopolysaccharide or lipooligosaccharide (LOS). Lipopolysaccharide is comprised of a lipid A anchor, core oligosaccharide (core OS), and O-antigen, while LOS lacks the O-antigen component. Modifications to any of these elements alter barrier permeability. Acinetobacter baumannii demonstrates an unusual ability to survive in the absence of LOS, which offers resistance against select antibiotics but forfeits the outer membrane integrity afforded by LOS. Despite this important relationship, the steps involved in building the core OS component of A. baumannii LOS remain incompletely desc

SUBMITTER: VanOtterloo LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12856342 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature