Re-classification within the serogroups O3 and O8 of Citrobacter strains.

BACKGROUND: Citrobacter strains are opportunistic pathogens often responsible for serious enteric as well as extra-intestinal diseases, and therefore the O-antigenic scheme, still in use in diagnostic identification, should be set for proper serotyping. The structures of more than 30 different Citrobacter O-antigens (O-polysaccharide chains of the lipopolysaccharides) of 43 Citrobacter O-serogroups have been elucidated so far. However, relationships between strains in several heterogeneous serogroups still need to be clarified by immunochemical studies. These include complex serogroups O3 and O8, represented by 20 and 7 strains, respectively, which are the subject of the present work. Earlier, the O-polysaccharide structures have been determined for Citrobacter O3 strain Be35/57 (PCM 1508) and Citrobacter O8 strain Be64/57 (PCM 1536). RESULTS: Serological studies (immunoblotting) carried out on Citrobacter lipopolysaccharides from different strains ascribed to serogroups O3 and O8 showed that each of these serogroups should be divided into non-cross-reacting subgroups. Based on the results of chemical analyses and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy the structure of Citrobacter O-antigens from strains PCM 1504 (O6) and PCM 1573 (O2) have been established. Chemical data combined with serological analyses showed that several Citrobacter strains should be reclassified into other serogroups. CONCLUSIONS: Immunochemical studies carried out on Citrobacter LPS, described in this paper, showed the expediency of reclassification of: 1) strains PCM 1504 and PCM 1573 from serogroups O6 and O2 to serogroups O3 and O8, respectively, 2) strains PCM 1503 and PCM 1505 from serogroups O3 and O8 to new serogroups O3a and O8a, respectively.

Structure of the O-polysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O35 containing an N-[(S)-1-carboxyethyl]-L-alanine (alanopine) derivative of 4-amino-4,6-dideoxyglucose.

The O-polysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O35 was studied by sugar and methylation analyses along with (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, including 2D (1)H,(13)C HMBC, and NOESY experiments in D2O and, to detect correlations for NH protons, in a 9:1 H2O/D2O mixture. A unique N-(1-carboxyethyl)alanine (alanopine, Alo) derivative of 4-amino-4,6-dideoxyglucose (Qui4N) was identified as the polysaccharide component. Alanopine was isolated by solvolysis of the polysaccharide with triflic acid followed by acid hydrolysis, and its (2S,4S)-configuration was determined by the specific optical rotation. The following structure of the O-polysaccharide was established (the d configuration of Qui4N was ascribed tentatively): [structure: see text].

Structure of the O-polysaccharide of Edwardsiella tarda PCM 1156.

Mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of Edwardsiella tarda PCM 1156 afforded an O-polysaccharide, which was isolated by gel-permeation chromatography on Sephadex G-50 and studied by sugar and methylation analyses along with (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, including 2D (1)H,(1)H COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, (1)H,(13)C HSQC, and HMBC experiments. The following structure of the linear tetrasaccharide repeating unit of the O-polysaccharide was established: [structure: see text].

Studies on the O-antigen of Hafnia alvei PCM 1224 structurally and serologically related to the O-antigen of H. alvei 481-L.

Mild hydrolysis of the lipopolysaccharide of Hafnia alvei PCM 1224 at pH 4.2 cleaved partially the O-polysaccharide chain by the glycosyl phosphate linkages to yield a phosphorylated hexasaccharide representing the repeating unit of the O-polysaccharide and higher oligosaccharides consisting of two or more repeating units. Studies of the degradation products before and after dephosphorylation by sugar and methylation analyses along with 1D and 2D (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, including 2D (1)H,(1)H COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, (1)H,(13)C HSQC, HSQC-TOCSY, and (1)H,(31)P HMBC experiments, enabled elucidation of the following structure of the O-polysaccharide: [formula - see text]. This structure is similar to that of the O-polysaccharide of H. alvei 481-L established earlier (Kubler-Kielb, J.; Vinogradov, E.; Garcia Fernandez, J. M.; Szostko, B.; Zwiefka, A.; Gamian, A. Carbohydr. Res.2006, 341, 2980-2985), which has the same sugar composition and the same main chain structure and differs in the site of attachment of α-d-Glcp only. A two-way serological cross-reactivity of the lipopolysaccharides of H. alvei PCM 1224 and 481-L with polyclonal rabbit antisera indicated the expediency of classification of both strains to the same O-serogroup.

Structure of the O-polysaccharide of Edwardsiella tarda PCM 1150 containing an amide of D-glucuronic acid with L-alanine.

Mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of Edwardsiella tarda PCM 1150 afforded an O-polysaccharide, which was isolated by GPC on Sephadex G-50 and studied by sugar and methylation analyses along with 1D and 2D 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies, including experiments performed in a 9:1 H2O/D2O mixture to detect NH protons and their correlations with CH protons. The O-polysaccharide was found to contain an amide of d-glucuronic acid with l-alanine (d-GlcA6Ala) and the following structure of the branched hexasaccharide repeating unit was established: -->4)-ß-D-GlepA6Ala-(1-->4)-α-L-Fucp-(1-->4)-α-D-Glcp-(1-->4)-α-D-Quip-(1-->3)-ß-D-GlcpNAc-(1-->3<--1α-D-GalpNAc.

Structural, serological, and genetic characterization of the O-antigen of Providencia alcalifaciens O40.

The O-polysaccharide chain of the lipopolysaccharide (O-antigen) on the bacterial cell surface is one of the most structurally variable cell components and serves as a basis for serotyping of Gram-negative bacteria, including human opportunistic pathogens of the genus Providencia. In this work, the O-antigen of Providencia alcalifaciens O40 was obtained by mild acid degradation of the isolated lipopolysaccharide and studied by chemical methods and high-resolution NMR spectroscopy. The following structure of the O-polysaccharide was established: →4)-ß-D-Quip3NFo-(1→3)-α-D-Galp-(1→3)-ß-D-GlcpA-(1→3)-ß-D-GalpNAc-(1→, where GlcA stands for glucuronic acid and Qui3NFo for 3,6-dideoxy-3-formamidoglucose. The O40-antigen was found to be structurally and serologically related to the O-antigens of P. alcalifaciens O5 and Providencia stuartii O18. The O40-antigen gene cluster between cpxA and yibK was sequenced, and the gene functions were predicted in silico. In agreement with the O-polysaccharide structure established, the genes for the synthesis of dTDP-D-Qui3NFo, UDP-D-Gal, UDP-D-GlcA, and UDP-D-GalNAc as well as those encoding three glycosyltransferases, flippase (Wzx), and O-antigen polymerase (Wzy) were recognized. In addition, homologues of wza, wzb, and wzc genes, which are required for the surface expression of capsular polysaccharides, were found within the gene cluster, suggesting that the O-polysaccharide studied is a part of the capsule-related form of the lipopolysaccharide called K(LPS).

Structure of the O-polysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O3 containing 3,6-dideoxy-3-formamido-D-glucose and D-galacturonamide.

Mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Providencia alcalifaciens O3 followed by GPC on Sephadex G-50 and anion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Trisacryl M afforded neutral and acidic polysaccharides, LPS core oligosaccharide, and an oligosaccharide composed of one repeat of the neutral polysaccharide (O-unit) linked to the LPS core. The following structure of the pentasaccharide O-unit was established by sugar and methylation analyses, 2D (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy and ESI MS: [formula: see text] where Qui3NFo stands for 3,6-dideoxy-3-formamidoglucose and GalAN for galacturonamide. The LPS core is represented by the Glc(3)Gal(1)GalA(1)Hep(3)Kdo(1)Ara4N(1)P(3)EtN(2) glycoform reported earlier for P. alcalifaciens O9, O34, and O19. The acidic polysaccharide had the same peptidoglycan-like structure as a polysaccharide isolated earlier from P. alcalifaciens O24, O38, and O45, and, most likely, represents bacterial capsule material.

Structural and serological studies on the O-antigen show that Citrobacter youngae PCM1505 must be classified to a new Citrobacter O-serogroup.

The O-polysaccharide obtained by mild acid hydrolysis of the lipopolysaccharide of Citrobacter youngae PCM1505 was studied by sugar and methylation analyses along with 1D and 2D (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopies. The following structure of the tetrasaccharide repeating unit of the polysaccharide was established: [Formula: see text]. Structural and serological data obtained earlier and in this work show that the strain studied is a candidate to a new Citrobacter O-serogroup.

Structures of a unique O-polysaccharide of Edwardsiella tarda PCM 1153 containing an amide of galacturonic acid with 2-aminopropane-1,3-diol and an abequose-containing O-polysaccharide shared by E. tarda PCM 1145, PCM 1151 and PCM 1158.

Lipopolysaccharides of four strains of Edwardsiella tarda were degraded by mild acid hydrolysis, and the released O-polysaccharides were isolated by GPC and studied by sugar and methylation analyses along with (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, including 2D (1)H, (1)H COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, (1)H, (13)C HMBC, HSQC and HSQC-TOCSY experiments. The O-polysaccharide from E. tarda PCM 1153 was found to contain D-GalA, D-GlcNAc, D-Gal and 2-amino-1,3-propanediol (GroN). In the tetrasaccharide repeating unit, GroN is amide-linked to one of the GalA residues, and Gal is non-stoichiometrically 2- or 3-O-acetylated (~45% at each position): [structure: see text]. Three other E. tarda strains examined (PCM 1145, PCM 1151 and PCM 1158) share the following O-polysaccharide structure: [structure: see text] where Abe indicates 3,6-dideoxy-D-xylo-hexose (abequose). This structure resembles those of Citrobacter freundii O22 (PCM 1555) and Salmonella enterica O4. In accordance with the structural data, SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting of the lipopolysaccharides with anti-C. freundii O22 serum demonstrated that the O-antigens of the three E. tarda strains are serologically identical to each other and to the O-antigens of C. freundii O22 and S. enterica O4.

Localization and molecular characterization of putative O antigen gene clusters of Providencia species.

Enterobacteria of the genus Providencia are opportunistic human pathogens associated with urinary tract and wound infections, as well as enteric diseases. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O antigen confers major antigenic variability upon the cell surface and is used for serotyping of Gram-negative bacteria. Recently, Providencia O antigen structures have been extensively studied, but no data on the location and organization of the O antigen gene cluster have been reported. In this study, the four Providencia genome sequences available were analysed, and the putative O antigen gene cluster was identified in the polymorphic locus between the cpxA and yibK genes. This finding provided the necessary information for designing primers, and cloning and sequencing the O antigen gene clusters from five more Providencia alcalifaciens strains. The gene functions predicted in silico were in agreement with the known O antigen structures; furthermore, annotation of the genes involved in the three-step synthesis of GDP-colitose (gmd, colD and colC) was supported by cloning and biochemical characterization of the corresponding enzymes. In one strain (P. alcalifaciens O39), no polysaccharide product of the gene cluster in the cpxA-yibK locus was found, and hence genes for synthesis of the existing O antigen are located elsewhere in the genome. In addition to the putative O antigen synthesis genes, homologues of wza, wzb, wzc and (in three strains) wzi, required for the surface expression of capsular polysaccharides, were found upstream of yibK in all species except Providencia rustigianii, suggesting that the LPS of these species may be attributed to the so-called K LPS (K(LPS)). The data obtained open a way for development of a PCR-based typing method for identification of Providencia isolates.

Structure of a polysaccharide from Providencia rustigianii O11 containing a novel amide of 2-acetamido-2-deoxygalacturonic acid with L-glutamyl-L-alanine.

An acidic polysaccharide was isolated from Providencia rustigianii O11 by the phenol-water extraction. The polysaccharide was cleaved by solvolysis with triflic acid to yield disaccharides with uronic acid derivatives at the non-reducing end. The polysaccharide and the disaccharides were studied by chemical analyses, high-resolution ESI MS, and 2D (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, and the following structure of the tetrasaccharide repeating unit of the polysaccharide was established: where GalNAcA stands for 2-acetamido-2-deoxygalacturonic acid, GalNAcA6GluAla for N-(2-acetamido-2-deoxygalacturonoyl)-l-glutam-1-yl-l-alanine, QuiNAc4NAcyl for 2-acetamido-4-[(S)-3-hydroxybutanoylamino]-2,4,6-trideoxyglucose (∼75%) or 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxyglucose (∼25%); the d configuration of GalNA and QuiN4N was ascribed tentatively. To the best of our knowledge, this is for the first time that an amide of uronic acid with a dipeptide is found in bacterial polysaccharides.

Structure of the O-polysaccharide from the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O48.

An O-polysaccharide was isolated by mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O48 and studied by sugar and methylation analyses along with (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, including 2D COSY, TOCSY, ROESY and (1)H,(13)C HSQC and HMBC experiments. It was found that the polysaccharide is acidic and has a linear mono-O-acetylated tetrasaccharide repeating unit with the following structure: →3)-α-D-Manp-(1→2)-α-L-Fucp-(1→2)-ß-D-GlcpA4Ac-(1→3)-α-D-GalpNAc-(1→.

Structure of the O-polysaccharide from the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O28.

An O-polysaccharide and oligosaccharides were isolated by GPC following mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O28. The O-polysaccharide was studied by sugar and methylation analyses, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, including 2D ROESY and H-detected (1)H,(13)C HSQC and HMBC experiments, and the following structure of the branched pentasaccharide repeating unit was established: [see formula in text]. This structure was confirmed by ESI MS of the isolated tridecasaccharide consisting of the lipopolysaccharide core and one O-polysaccharide repeat. The ESI mass spectrum also enabled inferring the composition of the core oligosaccharide.

Elucidation of the full O-polysaccharide structure and identification of the core type of the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O9.

Opportunistic human pathogens of the genus Providencia from the family Enterobacteriaceae are serotyped by their O-antigens, which represent the O-polysaccharide chains of the lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) on the cell surface. In this work, the O-polysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O9 was obtained by mild acid degradation of a long-chain S-form LPS. The structure of the hexasaccharide repeat (O-unit) of the O-polysaccharide containing one D-Gal, two D-Glc, and three D-GalNAc residues was established by sugar and methylation analyses along with one- and two-dimensional (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. Another degradation product was derived from a short-chain SR-form LPS and found to consist of a core oligosaccharide bearing one O-unit. Its studies by NMR spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry enabled identification of one of the GalNAc residues as the first monosaccharide of the O-unit, whose glycosidic linkage links the O-units to each other and the first O-unit to the core. The core is distinguished by the occurrence of two glycoforms differing in the nature of a lateral monosaccharide, which is either D-Glc or D-GlcNAc. Although composed of common monosaccharides, the O-polysaccharide of P. alcalifaciens O9 has a unique structure among bacterial polysaccharides, whereas the oligosaccharide region belongs to one of several core types recognized in the LPSs of Providencia.

Structure of the O-polysaccharide of Vibriocholerae O43 containing a new monosaccharide derivative, 4-(N-acetyl-l-allothreonyl)amino-4,6-dideoxy-D-glucose.

The O-polysaccharide of Vibrio cholerae O43 was studied using chemical analyses, triflic acid solvolysis and 2D NMR spectroscopy, including (1)H/(1)H COSY, TOCSY, NOESY and (1)H/(13)C gradient-selected HSQC experiments. The following structure of the tetrasaccharide repeating unit of the polysaccharide was established: →3)-ß-D-Quip4NAcyl-(1→3)-α-D-GalpNAcA-(1→4)-α-D-GalpNAc-(1→3)-α-D-QuipNAc-(1→ where D-QuiNAc stands for 2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-D-glucose, D-Qui4NAcyl for 4-(N-acetyl-L-allothreonyl)amino-4,6-dideoxy-D-glucose and D-GalNAcA for 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galacturonic acid.

Structure of the O-polysaccharide from the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O60.

An O-polysaccharide (O-antigen) was isolated by mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O60 and studied by sugar and methylation analyses as well as (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, including 2D ROESY and (1)H,(13)C HMBC experiments in D(2)O and a ROESY experiment in a 9:1 H(2)O-D(2)O mixture to reveal correlations for NH protons. It was found that the polysaccharide is built up of linear pentasaccharide repeating units containing an amide of d-glucuronic acid with l-serine and has the following structure: The O-antigen studied is structurally and serologically closely related to the O-antigen of Proteus vulgaris O44.

Structure of the O-polysaccharide of Citrobacter youngae PCM 1503.

The O-polysaccharide (O-antigen) was obtained from the lipopolysaccharide of Citrobacter youngae PCM 1503, which is currently classified to the O7 serogroup. The following structure of the tetrasaccharide repeating unit of the polysaccharide was established by sugar and methylation analyses along with 1D and 2D (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy: Structural and serological data of the O-antigen suggest that strain PCM 1503 should be reclassified to a new Citrobacter serogroup.

Structure of the O-polysaccharide from the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O12.

The O-polysaccharide was obtained by mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O12. Its structure was studied by sugar analysis using GLC of the alditol acetates and (S)-2-octyl glycosides, methylation analysis, Smith degradation, and (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, including 2D (1)H-(1)H COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, (1)H-(13)C HSQC, and HMBC experiments. It was found that the polymer is a neutral heteropolysaccharide and has a branched heptasaccharide repeating unit with the following structure:

Structure of the O-polysaccharides of the lipopolysaccharides of Mesorhizobium loti HAMBI 1148 and Mesorhizobium amorphae ATCC 19655 containing two O-methylated monosaccharides.

The O-polysaccharide of Mesorhizobium loti HAMBI 1148 was obtained by mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide and studied by sugar and methylation analyses, Smith degradation, and (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopies, including 2D (1)H/(1)H COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, and H-detected (1)H/(13)C HSQC experiments. The O-polysaccharide was found to have a branched hexasaccharide-repeating unit of the following structure: [Formula: see text] where 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4-O-methyl-D-glucose (D-GlcNAc4Me) and methyl group on 2-substituted D-rhamnose (Me) shown in italics are present in approximately 80% and approximately 40% repeating units, respectively. Similar studies of the O-polysaccharide from Mesorhizobium amorphae ATCC 19655 by sugar analysis and NMR spectroscopy revealed essentially the same structure but a higher content of 3-O-methyl-D-rhamnose ( approximately 70%).