aminoarabinose and Cystic-Fibrosis

Three structural features of lipid A (addition of palmitate [C16 fatty acid], addition of aminoarabinose [positively charged amino sugar residue], and retention of 3-hydroxydecanoate [3-OH C10 fatty acid]) were determined for Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF; n=86), from the environment (n=13), and from patients with other conditions (n=14). Among P. aeruginosa CF isolates, 100% had lipid A with palmitate, 24.6% with aminoarabinose, and 33.3% retained 3-hydroxydecanoate. None of the isolates from the environment or from patients with other conditions displayed these modifications. These results indicate that unique lipid A modifications occur in clinical P. aeruginosa CF isolates.

Topics: Arabinose; Child; Child, Preschool; Chronic Disease; Cystic Fibrosis; Decanoic Acids; Humans; Infant; Lipid A; Lung Diseases; Palmitates; Prevalence; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients develop chronic airway infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA). Pseudomonas aeruginosa synthesized lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with a variety of penta- and hexa-acylated lipid A structures under different environmental conditions. CF patient PA synthesized LPS with specific lipid A structures indicating unique recognition of the CF airway environment. CF-specific lipid A forms containing palmitate and aminoarabinose were associated with resistance to cationic antimicrobial peptides and increased inflammatory responses, indicating that they are likely to be involved in airway disease.

Topics: Acylation; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; Arabinose; Bacterial Proteins; Cells, Cultured; Cystic Fibrosis; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Humans; Infant; Interleukin-8; Lipid A; Lipopolysaccharides; Magnesium; Mutation; Palmitates; Peptides; Polymyxins; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas Infections; Respiratory System; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Virulence