Gene content and diversity of the loci encoding biosynthesis of capsular polysaccharides of the 15 serovar reference strains of Haemophilus parasuis.

ABSTRACT: Haemophilus parasuis is the causative agent of Glässer's disease, a systemic disease of pigs, and is also associated with pneumonia. H. parasuis can be classified into 15 different serovars. Here we report, from the 15 serotyping reference strains, the DNA sequences of the loci containing genes for the biosynthesis of the group 1 capsular polysaccharides, which are potential virulence factors of this bacterium. We contend that these loci contain genes for polysaccharide capsule structures, and not a lipopolysaccharide O antigen, supported by the fact that they contain genes such as wza, wzb, and wzc, which are associated with the export of polysaccharide capsules in the current capsule classification system. A conserved region at the 3' end of the locus, containing the wza, ptp, wzs, and i

SUBMITTER: Howell KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3754760 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature