Helicobacter pylori Adhesin Binding Fucosylated Histo-Blood Group Antigens Revealed by Retagging

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1998-01, Vol.279 (5349), p.373-377
• Main Authors: Ilver, Dag, Arnqvist, Anna, Ögren, Johan, Frick, Inga-Maria, Kersulyte, Dangeruta, Incecik, Engin T., Berg, Douglas E., Covacci, Antonello, Engstrand, Lars, Borén, Thomas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adhesins, Bacterial - chemistry; Adhesins, Bacterial - genetics; Adhesins, Bacterial - isolation & purification; Adhesins, Bacterial - metabolism; Amino Acid Sequence; Amino acids; Antigens; Antigens, Bacterial; Bacteria; Bacterial Adhesion; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - physiology; Bacteriology; Base Composition; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Biotinylation; Blood group antigens; Blood groups; Cell Membrane - chemistry; Clinical Medicine; Cloning, Molecular; Codon, Initiator; Cosmids; Fucose; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastric Mucosa - microbiology; Genes, Bacterial; Glycoconjugates; Glycoconjugates - metabolism; Helicobacter infections; Helicobacter pylori; Helicobacter pylori - isolation & purification; Helicobacter pylori - metabolism; Helicobacter pylori - pathogenicity; Humans; Infectious Medicine; Infektionsmedicin; Klinisk medicin; Lewis Blood-Group System - metabolism; Ligands; Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Open reading frames; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; Peptic ulcer; Physiological aspects; Polymerase chain reaction; Receptors; Ulcers; Vaccines; Virulence
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.279.5349.373

The bacterium Helicobacter pylori is the causative agent for peptic ulcer disease. Bacterial adherence to the human gastric epithelial lining is mediated by the fucosylated Lewis b (Le$^b$) histo-blood group antigen. The Le$^b$-binding adhesin, BabA, was purified by receptor activity-directed affinity tagging. The bacterial Le$^b$-binding phenotype was associated with the presence of the cag pathogenicity island among clinical isolates of H. pylori. A vaccine strategy based on the BabA adhesin might serve as a means to target the virulent type I strains of H. pylori.