lipid-a and beta-hydroxymyristic-acid

Lipid A in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Escherichia coli mutant strains was modified by the introduction of myristoyltransferase gene cloned from Klebsiella pneumoniae. When the gene was introduced into the mutant having lipid A containing only 3-hydroxymyristic acids, it produced lipid A with two additional myristic acids (C

Topics: Escherichia coli; Fatty Acids; Interleukin-6; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Lauric Acids; Lipid A; Myristic Acids; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Transformation, Genetic

Lauroyltransferase gene (lpxL), Myristoyltransferase gene (lpxM) and palmitoyltransferase gene (crcA) of Escherichia coli BL21 were independently disrupted by the insertional mutations. The knockout mutant of two transferase genes (lpxL and crcA) produced lipid A with no lauric or palmitic acids and only a little amount of myristic acid. The mutant was susceptible to polymyxin B, but showed comparable growth with the wild-type strain at 30°C. The palmitoyltransferase gene from E. coli (crcA) or Salmonella (pagP) was amplified by PCR, cloned in pUC119, and transferred into the double-knockout mutant by transformation. The transformant contained palmitic acid in the lipid A, and recovered resistance to polymyxin B. Mass spectrometric analysis revealed that palmitic acid was linked to the hydroxyl group of 3-hydroxymyristic acid at C-2 position of proximal (reducing-end) glucosamine. LPS from the double-knockout mutant showed reduced IL-6-inducing activity to macrophage-like line cells compared to that of the wild-type strain, and the activity was only slightly restored by the introduction of palmitic acid to the lipid A. These results suggested that the introduction of one palmitic acid was enough to recover the integrity of the outer membrane, but not enough for the stimulation of macrophages.

Topics: Acyltransferases; Animals; Bacterial Proteins; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli Proteins; Gene Knockout Techniques; Humans; Interleukin-6; Lauric Acids; Lipid A; Macrophages; Mice; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Mutation; Myristic Acid; Myristic Acids; Palmitic Acids; Polymyxin B; RAW 264.7 Cells; Salmonella; U937 Cells

Melioidosis is caused by the soil-borne pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei. To investigate whether the distinct phenotypic and virulent characteristics result from environmental adaptations in the soil or from the host body, two pairs of isogenic strains were generated by passages in soil or mice. After cultivation in soil, the levels of 3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid, biofilm formation, flagellar expression, and ultrastructure were altered in the bacteria. Uniformly fatal melioidosis developed as a result of infection with mouse-derived strains; however, the survival rates of mice infected with soil-derived strains prolonged. After primary infection or reinfection with soil-derived strains, the mice developed a low degree of bacterial hepatitis and bacterial colonization in the liver and bone marrow compared with mice that were infected with isogenic or heterogenic mouse-derived strains. We suggest that specific phenotypic and pathogenic patterns can be induced through infection with B. pseudomallei that has been cultured in different (soil versus mouse) environments.

Topics: Animals; Bacterial Load; Biofilms; Burkholderia pseudomallei; Fatty Acids; Female; Flagella; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Lipid A; Liver; Melioidosis; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Myristic Acids; Phenotype; Soil Microbiology

Lipid A isolated from the Rickettsia typhi lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was investigated for its composition and structure using chemical analyses, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and electrospray ionization (ESI) combined with the tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Our studies revealed a noticeable compositional and structural heterogeneity of lipid A with respect to the content of phosphate groups and the degree of acylation. It appeared that at least two molecular species were present in lipid A. The major species represented the hexaacyl lipid A consisting of the β-(1--> 6)-linked D-glucosamine (GlcN) disaccharide backbone carrying two phosphate groups. One of them was linked to the glycosidic hydroxyl group of the reducing GlcN I and the other was ester linked to the O-4´ position of the non-reducing GlcN II. The primary fatty acids consisted of two 3-hydroxytetradecanoic [C14:0(3-OH)] and two 3-hydroxyhexadecanoic [C16:0(3-OH)] acids. The former were ester- and the latter amide-linked to both GlcN. Two secondary fatty acids were represented by the octadecanoic (C18:0) and hexadecanoic (C16:0) acids that were ester-linked at the N-2´ and O-3´ positions, respectively. In the minor lipid A species, ester-linked C18:0 was substituted by C16:0 at the C16:0(3-OH) of GlcN II. The R. typhi lipid A resembles structurally the classical forms of enterobacterial lipids A with high endotoxicity.

Topics: Acylation; Fatty Acids; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Lipid A; Lipopolysaccharides; Myristic Acids; Palmitic Acid; Phosphates; Rickettsia typhi; Stearic Acids; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

LpxD catalyzes the third step of lipid A biosynthesis, the R-3-hydroxyacyl-ACP-dependent N-acylation of UDP-3-O-(acyl)-alpha-D-glucosamine, and is a target for new antibiotic development. Here we report the 2.6 A crystal structure of the Escherichia coli LpxD homotrimer (EcLpxD). As is the case in Chlamydia trachomatis LpxD (CtLxpD), each EcLpxD chain consists of an N-terminal uridine-binding region, a left-handed parallel beta-helix (LbetaH), and a C-terminal alpha-helical domain. The backbones of the LbetaH domains of the two enzymes are similar, as are the positions of key active site residues. The N-terminal nucleotide binding domains are oriented differently relative to the LbetaH regions, but are similar when overlaid on each other. The orientation of the EcLpxD tripeptide (residues 303-305), connecting the distal end of the LbetaH and the proximal end of the C-terminal helical domains, differs from its counterpart in CtLpxD (residues 311-312); this results in a 120 degrees rotation of the C-terminal domain relative to the LbetaH region in EcLpxD versus CtLpxD. M290 of EcLpxD appears to cap the distal end of a hydrophobic cleft that binds the acyl chain of the R-3-hydroxyacyl-ACP donor substrate. Under standard assay conditions, wild-type EcLpxD prefers R,S-3-hydroxymyristoyl-ACP over R,S-3-hydroxypalmitoyl-ACP by a factor of 3, whereas the M290A mutant has the opposite selectivity. Both wild-type and M290A EcLpxD rescue the conditional lethality of E. coli RL25, a temperature-sensitive strain harboring point mutations in lpxD. Complementation with wild-type EcLpxD restores normal lipid A containing only N-linked hydroxymyristate to RL25 at 42 degrees C, as judged by mass spectrometry, whereas the M290A mutant generates multiple lipid A species containing one or two longer hydroxy fatty acids in place of the usual R-3-hydroxymyristate at positions 2 and 2'.

Topics: Acyl Carrier Protein; Acylation; Acyltransferases; Amidohydrolases; Bacterial Proteins; Catalytic Domain; Chlamydia trachomatis; Crystallography, X-Ray; Escherichia coli Proteins; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Lipid A; Myristic Acids; Point Mutation

The composition and structure of lipid A isolated from the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Piscirickettsia salmonis were investigated by chemical analyses, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GCMS), and electrospray ionization (ESI) combined with the tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Our study revealed moderate compositional and structural heterogeneity of lipid A with respect to the content of phosphate groups and 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-arabinopyranose (Ara4N) residues and with regard to the degree of acylation. It appeared that at least two molecular species were present in lipid A. The major species represented the hexaacyl lipid A consisting of the ss-(1--> 6)-linked D-glucosamine (GlcN) disaccharide backbone carrying two phosphate groups. The first one at the glycosidic hydroxyl group of the reducing GlcN I and the second one at the O-4' position of the non-reducing GlcN II. The primary fatty acids consisted of three 3-hydroxytetradecanoic [C14:0(3-OH)] and one 3-hydroxyhexadecanoic [C16:0(3-OH)] acids. The latter was amide-linked to GlcN I and one C14:0(3-OH) was amide-linked to GlcN II. Two secondary fatty acids were represented by C14:0(3-OH) and were equally distributed between the O-2' and O-3' positions. The phosphate group at O-4' carried a non-stoichiometric substituent Ara4N. The minor lipid A species contained exclusively C14:0(3-OH) with an asymmetric distribution (4+2) at GlcN II and GlcN I, respectively. The P. salmonis lipid A resembles structurally strongly endotoxic enterobacterial lipid A. This could be one of the reasons for the observed high endotoxicity of P. salmonis.

Topics: Acylation; Amino Sugars; Animals; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Glucosamine; Lipid A; Molecular Structure; Myristic Acids; Phosphates; Piscirickettsia; Salmonidae; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

This report deals with enantioselective synthesis of viracept 1 (nelfinavir mesylate, AG 1343), a potent HIV protease inhibitor, and 3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid 3, a component of lipid A comprising lipopolysaccharide embedded in the cell surface of Gram-negative bacteria, from both strategic and practical perspectives. As regards the synthesis of 1, the synthetic approaches to its central intermediate 2 possessing the common structural motif of 1,4-differentially substituted-2-amino-3-hydroxylbutane are mainly discussed with emphasis on the molecular symmetry that has helped streamline the synthetic strategy. In the discussion of the synthetic strategies to access a single enantiomer of 3, the chiral methodologies that have been applied so far are assessed for industrial viability; the synthetic alternatives explored include resolution via diastereomeric salt formation, lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution, asymmetric synthesis, and chiral pool approaches.

Topics: Catalysis; Gram-Negative Bacteria; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Lipase; Lipid A; Molecular Structure; Myristic Acids; Nelfinavir; Stereoisomerism

The effects of endodontic irrigants and calcium hydroxide on lipopolysaccharide (LPS; endotoxin) were analyzed using the highly selective technique of mass spectrometry/gas chromatography with selected ion monitoring. An aqueous solution of LPS was mixed with one of a variety of endodontic irrigants for 30 min. Because it is a commonly used interappointment dressing, calcium hydroxide was also applied to LPS for 1, 2, or 5 days. LPS inactivation was measured by quantitation of free fatty acid release. Water, EDTA, ethanol, 0.12% chlorhexidine, chlorhexidine + sodium hypochlorite, and sodium hypochlorite alone showed little breakdown of LPS. Long-term calcium hydroxide--as well as 30-min exposure to an alkaline mixture of chlorhexidine, ethanol, and sodium hypochlorite--did detoxify LPS molecules by hydrolysis of ester bonds in the fatty acid chains of the lipid A moiety.

Topics: Bacteriological Techniques; Calcium Hydroxide; Chromatography, Gas; Endotoxins; Ion-Selective Electrodes; Lipid A; Lipolysis; Lipopolysaccharides; Mass Spectrometry; Myristic Acids; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Root Canal Irrigants

The lipopolysaccharide, and particularly its lipid A moiety, of the J-5 mutant of Escherichia coli O111 plays a central role in studies on potential induction of cross-reactive and cross-protective antibodies, however, its chemical and antigenic structure was hitherto unknown. Here, the chemical structure of the J-5 lipid A is reported. It is composed of the bisphosphorylated disaccharide beta-D-GlcpN-4-P-(1-6)-alpha-D-GlcpN-1-P which carries four residues of 3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid, one each at positions 2, 3, 2', and 3'. The hydroxyl groups of the acyl residues at 2' and 3' are esterified with dodecanoic and tetradecanoic acid, respectively. The hydroxyl group at C-6' functions in the lipopolysaccharide as the attachment site of the core oligosaccharide. Furthermore, a new method to isolate the hydrophilic backbone, i.e. the 1,4'-bisphosphorylated glucosamine disaccharide, and its structural analysis by 1H-, 13C-, and 31P-NMR spectroscopy, are described, leading to a new and easier strategy in structural analysis of lipid A from bacterial lipopolysaccharides.

Topics: Carbohydrate Sequence; Escherichia coli; Fatty Acids; Lipid A; Lipopolysaccharides; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Methylation; Molecular Sequence Data; Myristic Acids

New quantitative method for the detection of minute amounts of endotoxin has been developed using 3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid as a chemical marker. After converting 3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid to methyl ester, it was coupled with a fluorescent probe, anthracene-9-carboxyl chloride, obtained by chlorization of 9-anthroic acid with oxalyl chloride. The resulting ester was isolated by HPLC on silica column. The purified product, methyl-3-0-(9-carboxy-anthracenyl) tetradecanoate (M/Z 462), was highly responsive to a fluorescence spectrophotometer, showing maximum emission with excitation wavelength at 257 nm and emission wavelength at 458 nm in dichloromethane, the limit of detection being as little as 10 f mol. Using this method it is currently possible to detect Salmonella abortus equi endotoxin in aqueous solution at a level of 100 pg.

Topics: Anthracenes; Chromatography, Gas; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Endotoxins; Fatty Acids; Fluorescence; Lipid A; Mass Spectrometry; Myristic Acids; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Salmonella

Lipid X, a monosaccharide precursor of lipid A, has been found to prevent death in animals given a lethal dose of endotoxin, but the mechanism of this protective effect is unknown. We previously reported that lipid X blocks endotoxin-induced priming of human neutrophils in a manner consistent with competitive inhibition. To determine the molecular requirements for this antiendotoxin activity, we studied several derivatives of lipid X using the neutrophil priming assay. Neutrophil priming was quantitated by measuring stimulated superoxide (O2-) release. The removal of either acyl group from lipid X or even the simple change of the amide to an ester linkage at C2 of the glucosamide ring resulted in a marked loss of antagonism. Monosaccharide analogues, structurally related to native lipid A by the presence of acyloxyacyl side chains, demonstrated marked inhibition of endotoxin-induced priming at low concentrations but an endotoxin-like, priming effect at high concentrations. The addition of a phosphate group at position 4 of the sugar moiety was the only modification studied so far that produced a pure antagonist with increased antiendotoxin activity. Demonstration of these structural requirements for the antiendotoxin activity of lipid A analogues supports the hypothesis that this effect may be mediated via specific cellular binding sites. Lipid X derivatives may be useful for studying the interaction of endotoxin with cells and their antiendotoxin activity may prove beneficial in the treatment of septicemia.

Topics: Bacterial Infections; Chemical Phenomena; Chemistry; Endotoxins; Glycolipids; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Lipid A; Myristic Acids; N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine; Neutrophils; Sepsis; Superoxides; Trypan Blue