Energy dependence of O-antigen synthesis in Salmonella typhimurium

P. A. Marino, B. C. McGrath, M. J. Osborn

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16 Scopus citations

Abstract

The uncoupler 2,4-dinitrophenol prevents in vivo synthesis of O antigen in Salmonella typhimurium by inhibiting the first reaction of the pathway, formation of galactosyl-pyrophosphoryl-undecaprenol. Inhibition was observed only in intact cells; dinitrophenol had no effect on activity of the synthase enzyme in isolated membrane fractions. In vivo inhibition could not be explained by changes in intracellular nucleotide pools or a shift in the equilibrium of the reaction and appeared to be specific for the first step in the pathway. Neither the subsequent mannosyl transferase, which catalyzes formation of the trisaccharide-lipid intermediate, mannosyl-rhamnosyl-galactosyl-pyrophosphoryl-undecaprenol, nor O-antigen polymerase was inhibited. In addition, incorporation of galactose into core lipopolysaccharide was only modestly inhibited under conditions in which O-antigen synthesis was abolished. The results suggest that maintenance of proton motive force is required for access of substrate, UDP-galactose and/or undecaprenyl phosphate, to the active site of the galactosyl-pyrophosphoryl-undecaprenol synthase enzyme.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3128-3133
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of bacteriology
Volume173
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - 1991

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology

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