The genetics of glycosylation in Gram-negative bacteria

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters 2003-01, Vol.218 (2), p.211-222
• Main Authors: Power, P.M., Jennings, M.P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adhesins; Aeromonas - genetics; Aeromonas - metabolism; Bacteria; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Biosynthesis; Campylobacter; Campylobacter - genetics; Campylobacter - metabolism; Caulobacter crescentus - genetics; Caulobacter crescentus - metabolism; E coli; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli - metabolism; Fimbriae Proteins - genetics; Fimbriae Proteins - metabolism; Fimbriae, Bacterial - genetics; Fimbriae, Bacterial - metabolism; Flagella; Flagellin - genetics; Flagellin - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics; Glycosylation; Glycosyltransferase; Gram-negative bacteria; Gram-Negative Bacteria - genetics; Gram-Negative Bacteria - metabolism; Gram‐negative; Helicobacter pylori; Helicobacter pylori - genetics; Helicobacter pylori - metabolism; Microbiology; Models, Molecular; Neisseria - genetics; Neisseria - metabolism; Pathogenesis; Pili; Proteins; Pseudomonas - genetics; Pseudomonas - metabolism; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Saccharide biosynthesis
• ISSN: 0378-1097; 1574-6968
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2003.tb11520.x

Abstract In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in reports of glycosylation of proteins in various Gram-negative systems including Neisseria meningitidis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Campylobacter jejuni, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Caulobacter crescentus, Aeromonas caviae and Helicobacter pylori. Although this growing list contains many important pathogens (reviewed by Benz and Schmidt [Mol. Microbiol. 45 (2002) 267–276]) and the glycosylations are found on proteins important in pathogenesis such as pili, adhesins and flagella the precise role(s) of the glycosylation of these proteins remains to be determined. Furthermore, the details of the glycosylation biosynthetic process have not been determined in any of these systems. The definition of the precise role of glycosylation and the mechanism of biosynthesis will be facilitated by a detailed understanding of the genes involved.