Recent advances in computational predictions of NMR parameters for the structure elucidation of carbohydrates: methods and limitations.

All living systems are comprised of four fundamental classes of macromolecules--nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates (glycans). Glycans play a unique role of joining three principal hierarchical levels of the living world: (1) the molecular level (pathogenic agents and vaccine recognition by the immune system, metabolic pathways involving saccharides that provide cells with energy, and energy accumulation via photosynthesis); (2) the nanoscale level (cell membrane mechanics, structural support of biomolecules, and the glycosylation of macromolecules); (3) the microscale and macroscale levels (polymeric materials, such as cellulose, starch, glycogen, and biomass). NMR spectroscopy is the most powerful research approach for getting insight into the solution structure and function of carbohydrates at all hierarchical levels, from monosaccharides to oligo- and polysaccharides. Recent progress in computational procedures has opened up novel opportunities to reveal the structural information available in the NMR spectra of saccharides and to advance our understanding of the corresponding biochemical processes. The ability to predict the molecular geometry and NMR parameters is crucial for the elucidation of carbohydrate structures. In the present paper, we review the major NMR spectrum simulation techniques with regard to chemical shifts, coupling constants, relaxation rates and nuclear Overhauser effect prediction applied to the three levels of glycomics. Outstanding development in the related fields of genomics and proteomics has clearly shown that it is the advancement of research tools (automated spectrum analysis, structure elucidation, synthesis, sequencing and amplification) that drives the large challenges in modern science. Combining NMR spectroscopy and the computational analysis of structural information encoded in the NMR spectra reveals a way to the automated elucidation of the structure of carbohydrates.

Structure of the O-polysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O8 containing (2S,4R)-2,4-dihydroxypentanoic acid, a new non-sugar component of bacterial glycans.

A glycerol teichoic acid-like O-polysaccharide was obtained by mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O8 and studied by chemical methods and NMR spectroscopy, including 2D ROESY, {(1)H,(13)C} HSQC, and HMQC-TOCSY experiments. It was found that the compound contains a new component of bacterial lipopolysaccharides: ether-linked (2S,4R)-2,4-dihydroxypentanoic acid (Dhpa), which was identified by NMR spectroscopy. The following structure of the repeating unit of the polysaccharide was established: [structure: see text]

New structure for the O-polysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O27 and revised structure for the O-polysaccharide of Providencia stuartii O43.

The O-polysaccharide was obtained by mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide from Providencia alcalifaciens O27 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, H-detected (1)H,(13)C HSQC, and HMBC experiments. It was found that the polysaccharide is built up of linear partially O-acetylated tetrasaccharide repeating units and has the following structure: [structure: see text] where Qui4NFo stands for 4-formamido-4,6-dideoxyglucose (4-formamido-4-deoxyquinovose). The O-polysaccharide structure of Providencia stuartii O43 established earlier was revised with respect to the configuration of the constituent 4-amino-4,6-dideoxyhexose (from Rha4N to Qui4N).

Structure of the O-polysaccharide and serological cross-reactivity of the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O32 containing N-acetylisomuramic acid.

The O-polysaccharide was obtained by mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O32 and studied by sugar and methylation analyses, solvolysis with triflic acid, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, including two-dimensional 1H,1H COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, H-detected 1H,13C HSQC and HMBC experiments. It was found that the polysaccharide has a branched tetrasaccharide repeating unit containing 2-acetamido-3-O-[(S)-1-carboxyethyl]-2-deoxy-D-glucose (D-GlcNAc3Slac, N-acetylisomuramic acid) with the following structure: [ STRUCTURE: SEE TEXT]. Serological studies with O-antisera showed antigenic relationships between P. alcalifaciens O32 and O29 as well as several other Providencia and Proteus strains sharing putative epitopes on the O-polysaccharides.

Structures and serology of the O-antigens of Proteus strains classified into serogroup O17 and former serogroup O35.

INTRODUCTION: Bacteria of the genus Proteus are facultative pathogens which commonly cause urinary tract infections. Based on the serological specificity of the O-chain polysaccharide of the lipopolysaccharide (O-polysaccharide, O-antigen), strains of P. mirabilis and P. vulgaris have been classified into 60 serogroups. Studies on the chemical structure and serological specificity of the O-antigens aim at the elucidation of the molecular basis and improvement of the serological classification of these bacteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The O-polysaccharide was prepared by acetic acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide isolated from dried bacterial mass of each strain by hot phenol/water extraction. (1)H- and (13)C-NMR spectroscopy was used for structural studies. Serological studies were performed with rabbit O-antisera using enzyme immunosorbent assay, passive hemolysis test, and the inhibition of reactions in these assays as well DOC-PAGE and Western blot. RESULTS: Four Proteus strains belonging to serogroups O17 and O35 were found to possess similar O-polysaccharide structures, in particular having the same carbohydrate backbone built up of tetrasaccharide repeating units. However, they differ in the presence or absence of additional substituents, such as phosphoethanolamine in P. mirabilis O17 and glucose in P. penneri O17, as well as in the pattern and degree of O-acetylation of various monosaccharide residues. Serological studies also showed close relationships between the O-antigens studied. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these data it is proposed to reclassify strain P. mirabilis PrK 61/57, formerly representing the O35 serogroup, into the serogroup O17 in the Kauffman-Perch classification system of Proteus.

Structure of the O-polysaccharide from the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O29.

The O-polysaccharide was obtained by a mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O29. Structural studies were performed using sugar and methylation analyses along with 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, including two-dimensional 1H, 1H COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, H-detected 1H, 13C HSQC and HMBC experiments. On the basis of the data obtained, the following structure of the branched tetrasaccharide repeating unit of the O-polysaccharide was established: [structure: see text].

The O-polysaccharide from the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia stuartii O44 contains L-quinovose, a 6-deoxy sugar rarely occurring in bacterial polysaccharides.

The O-polysaccharide (O-antigen) of Providencia stuartii O44:H4 (strain 3768/51) was obtained by mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide 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, and H-detected (1)H,(13)C HSQC, and HMQC-TOCSY experiments. The O-polysaccharide was found to have a branched hexasaccharide repeating unit of the following structure: [Formula: see text].

The structure of the O-polysaccharide from the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia stuartii O57 containing an amide of D-galacturonic acid with L-alanine.

The O-polysaccharide (O-antigen) was obtained by mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia stuartii O57:H29. Studies by sugar and methylation analyses along with (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, including two-dimensional (1)H,(1)H COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, H-detected (1)H,(13)C HSQC, and HMBC experiments, showed that the polysaccharide contains an amide of D-galacturonic acid with L-alanine and has the following pentasaccharide repeating unit: [formula: see text]

Tertiary structure of Staphylococcus aureus cell wall murein.

The recently described scaffold model of murein architecture depicts the gram-negative bacterial cell wall as a gel-like matrix composed of cross-linked glycan strands oriented perpendicularly to the plasma membrane while peptide bridges adopt a parallel orientation (B. A. Dmitriev, F. V. Toukach, K. J. Schaper, O. Holst, E. T. Rietschel, and S. Ehlers, J. Bacteriol. 185:3458-3468, 2003). Based on the scaffold model, we now present computer simulation studies on the peptidoglycan arrangement of the gram-positive organism Staphylococcus aureus, which show that the orientation of peptide bridges is critical for the highly cross-linked murein architecture of this microorganism. According to the proposed refined model, staphylococcal murein is composed of glycan and oligopeptide chains, both running in a plane that is perpendicular to the plasma membrane, with oligopeptide chains adopting a zigzag conformation and zippering adjacent glycan strands along their lengths. In contrast to previous models of murein in gram-positive bacteria, this model reflects the high degree of cross-linking that is the hallmark of the staphylococcal cell wall and is compatible with distinguishing features of S. aureus cytokinesis such as the triple consecutive alteration of the division plane orientation and the strictly centripetal mode of septum closure.

Structure of the O-polysaccharide of Proteus vulgaris O44: a new O-antigen that contains an amide of D-glucuronic acid with L-alanine.

The O-polysaccharide of Proteus vulgaris O44, strain PrK 67/57 was studied by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, including 2D COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, H-detected 1H, 13C HMQC, HMQC-TOCSY and HMBC experiments. The polysaccharide was found to contain an amide of D-glucuronic acid with L-alanine [D-GlcA6(L-Ala)], and the following structure of the linear pentasaccharide repeating unit was established: [structure: see text]. The structural data of the O-polysaccharide and the results of serological studies with P. vulgaris O44 O-antiserum showed that the strain studied is unique among Proteus bacteria, which is in agreement with its classification in a separate Proteus serogroup, O44.

Tertiary structure of bacterial murein: the scaffold model.

Although the chemical structure and physical properties of peptidoglycan have been elucidated for some time, the precise three-dimensional organization of murein has remained elusive. Earlier published computer simulations of the bacterial murein architecture modeled peptidoglycan strands in either a regular (D. Pink, J. Moeller, B. Quinn, M. Jericho, and T. Beveridge, J. Bacteriol. 182: 5925-5930, 2000) or an irregular (A. Koch, J. Theor. Biol. 204: 533-541, 2000) parallel orientation with respect to the plasma membrane. However, after integrating published experimental data on glycan chain length distribution and the degree of peptide side chain cross-linking into this computer simulation, we now report that the proposed planar network of murein appears largely dysfunctional. In contrast, a scaffold model of murein architecture, which assumes that glycan strands extend perpendicularly to the plasma membrane, was found to accommodate published experimental evidence and yield a viable stress-bearing matrix. Moreover, this model is in accordance with the well-established principle of murein assembly in vivo, i.e., sequential attachment of strands to the preexisting structure. For the first time, the phenomenon of division plane alternation in dividing bacteria can be reconciled with a computer model of the molecular architecture of murein.

Structural and serological characterization of the lipopolysaccharide from Proteus penneri 20 and classification of the cross-reacting Proteus penneri strains 10, 16, 18, 20, 32 and 45 in Proteus serogroup O17.

O-specific polysaccharide (O-antigen) of the lipopolysaccharide of Proteus penneri 20 was studied using sugar analysis along with various one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy techniques. The following structure of the polysaccharide was established: [formula: see text] It has the same carbohydrate backbone structure as that described earlier for P. penneri 16, in which the positions of the O-acetyl groups have not been determined. P. penneri 20 O-antiserum showed a strong cross-reactivity with the lipopolysaccharides of P. penneri 10, 16, 18, 32, 45 and P. mirabilis O17. These data enable classifying these strains together with P. penneri 20 in one Proteus serogroup, O17.

Structure of the O-polysaccharide and classification of Proteus mirabilis strain G1 in Proteus serogroup O3.

The O-chain polysaccharide of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of a previously nonclassified strain of Proteus mirabilis termed G1 was studied by sugar analysis and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, including 2D COSY, TOCSY, rotating-frame NOE (ROESY), H-detected 1H,13C HMQC, and heteronuclear multiple-bond correlation (HMBC) experiments. The following structure of the polysaccharide was established: [carbohydrate structure: see text] where D-GalA6(L-Lys) stands for N(alpha)-(D-galacturonoyl)-L-lysine. The structure of the O-polysaccharide of P. mirabilis G1 is similar, but not identical, to that of P. mirabilis S1959 and OXK belonging to serogroup O3. Immunochemical studies with P. mirabilis G1 and S1959 anti-(O-polysaccharide) sera revealed close LPS-based serological relatedness of P. mirabilis G1 and S1959, and therefore it was suggested to classify P. mirabilis G1 in serogroup O3 as a subgroup. P. mirabilis G1 and S1959 anti-(O-polysaccharide) sera also cross-reacted with LPS of P. mirabilis strains from two other serogroups containing D-GalA6(L-Lys) in the O-polysaccharide or in the core region.

Structural and serological relatedness of the O-antigens of Proteus penneri 1 and 4 from a novel Proteus serogroup O72.

O-specific polysaccharides (O-antigens) of the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of Proteus penneri strains 1 and 4 were studied using sugar analysis, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, including 2D COSY, H-detected (1)H,(13)C HMQC, and rotating-frame NOE spectroscopy (ROESY). The following structures of the tetrasaccharide (strain 1) and pentasaccharide (strain 4) repeating units of the polysaccharides were established: [reaction: see text]. In the polysaccharide of P. penneri strain 4, glycosylation with the lateral Glc residue (75%) and O-acetylation of the lateral GalNAc residue (55%) are nonstoichiometric. This polysaccharide contains also other, minor O-acetyl groups, whose positions were not determined. The structural similarity of the O-specific polysaccharides was consistent with the close serological relatedness of the LPS, which was demonstrated by immunochemical studies with O-antisera against P. penneri 1 and 4. Based on these data, it was proposed to classify P. penneri strains 1 and 4 into a new Proteus serogroup, O72, as two subgroups, O72a and O72a,b, respectively. Serological cross-reactivity of P. penneri 1 O-antiserum with the LPS of P. penneri 40 and 41 was substantiated by the presence of an epitope(s) on the LPS core region shared by all P. penneri strains studied.