Identification of a Wzy polymerase required for group IV capsular polysaccharide and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis in Vibrio vulnificus.

ABSTRACT: The estuarine bacterium Vibrio vulnificus is a human and animal pathogen. The expression of capsular polysaccharide (CPS) is essential for virulence. We used a new mini-Tn10 delivery vector, pNKTXI-SceI, to generate a mutant library and identify genes essential for CPS biosynthesis. Twenty-one acapsular mutants were isolated, and the disrupted gene in one mutant, coding for a polysaccharide polymerase (wzy), is described here. A wecA gene initiating glycosyltransferase was among the genes identified in the region flanking the wzy gene. This, together with the known structure of the CPS, supports a group IV capsule designation for the locus; however, its overall organization mirrored that of group I capsules. This new arrangement may be linked to our finding that the CPS region appears to h

SUBMITTER: Nakhamchik A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2168344 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature