HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplementary data Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Google Scholar Articles by Sutcliffe, I. C. Articles by Harrington, D. J. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sutcliffe, I. C. Articles by Harrington, D. J. Agricola Articles by Sutcliffe, I. C. Articles by Harrington, D. J.

Bioinformatic insights into the biosynthesis of the Group B carbohydrate in Streptococcus agalactiae

¹ Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
² University of Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP, UK

Correspondence
Iain Sutcliffe
iain.sutcliffe{at}unn.ac.uk

Streptococcus agalactiae is a major human and animal pathogen, most notable as a cause of life-threatening disease in neonates. S. agalactiae is also called the Group B Streptococcus in reference to the diagnostically significant Lancefield Group B typing antigen. Although the structure of this complex carbohydrate antigen has been solved, little is known of its biosynthesis beyond the identification of a relevant locus in sequenced S. agalactiae genomes. Analysis of the sugar linkages present in the Group B carbohydrate (GBC) structure has allowed us to deduce the minimum enzymology required to complete its biosynthesis. Most of the enzymes required to complete this biosynthesis can be identified within the putative biosynthetic locus. Surprisingly, however, three crucial N-acetylglucosamine transferases and enzymes required for activated precursor synthesis are not apparently located in this locus. A model for GBC biosynthesis wherein the complete polymer is assembled at the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane before translocation to the cell surface is proposed. These analyses also suggest that GBC is the major teichoic acid-like polymer in the cell wall of S. agalactiae, whereas lipoteichoic acid is the dominant poly(glycerophosphate) antigen. Genomic analysis has allowed us to predict the pathway leading to the biosynthesis of GBC of S. agalactiae.

A step-wise model for the biosynthesis of the S. agalactiae GBC, and three supplementary tables of data are available with the online version of this paper.