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A functional Campylobacter jejuni maf4 gene results in novel glycoforms on flagellin and altered autoagglutination behaviour

Lieke B. van Alphen^1,

¹ Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands
² Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry Unit, Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands

Correspondence
Jos P. M. van Putten
j.vanputten{at}uu.nl

Flagellin of Campylobacter jejuni is extensively modified with (derivatives of) pseudaminic acid. The flagellar glycosylation locus contains several genes with homopolymeric G-tracts prone to slipped-strand mispairing, some of which belong to the maf gene family. We investigated the function of the putative phase-variable maf4 gene of C. jejuni strain 108. A constructed maf4 mutant displayed unaltered flagella assembly and bacterial motility. 2D-PAGE analysis revealed that the flagellin of strain 108 migrated at a more acidic pI than the protein of the Maf4 mutant. MS-MS in combination with high-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron MS (MALDI-FT-ICR-MS) on flagellin-derived glycopeptides showed that the flagellins of the mutant lacked two previously unidentified modifications of pseudaminic acid. These glycoforms carried additional CO₂ and C₂H₂O₂ groups, consistent with the more acidic pI of the wild-type flagellin. Phenotypically, the maf4 mutant displayed strongly delayed bacterial autoagglutination. Collectively, our results suggest that the presence of a functional Maf4 expands the flagellin glycan repertoire with novel glycoforms of pseudaminic acid and, in the event of phase variation, alters the population behaviour of C. jejuni.

Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, M469, Biological Sciences building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada.

The GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession numbers for the maf4 gene and the glycosylation locus of the neuB3 to maf2 sequences of Campylobacter jejuni strain 108WT are EU448320 and EU448321, respectively.