Genetic and biochemical analysis of Shigella dysenteriae 1 O antigen polysaccharide biosynthesis in Escherichia coli K-12: structure and functions of the rfb gene cluster.

The genetic organization and functions of the Shigella dysenteriae 1 rfb gene cluster, which specifies the somatic O antigen in this organism, have been studied in Escherichia coli K-12 by insertion and deletion mutagenesis of pSS9, a pBR322 hybrid containing the Shigella rfb genes. On the basis of the sensitivity/resistance to rough-specific bacteriophage T3 of E. coli K-12 derivatives containing mutant pSS9 plasmids, of the banding patterns and immunoreactivity of LPS isolated from such derivatives and electrophoresed on SDS-polyacrylamide gels, and of the sugar composition of the polysaccharide portion of the LPS determined by chemical analysis, six determinants for O antigen production were identified and localized. At least two determinants are involved in synthesis of TDP-rhamnose and the transfer of a rhamnose residue to the galactose-substituted core. One of these functions is probably TDP-rhamnose synthetase. A third function effects the transfer of a second rhamnose residue to the rha----gal-substituted core. A fourth function, for which evidence was obtained for two determinants (cistrons), is N-acetylglucosamine transferase, whereas a sixth determinant is necessary for extension of the first completed side chain repeat unit to the full O antigen polymer. These results confirmed the previously-determined chemical composition of the S. dysenteriae 1 O antigen and demonstrated that the order of the sugars is glcNAc----rha----rha----gal with gal as the first sugar linked to the core. Evidence was obtained for at least two transcriptional units in the rfb gene cluster and the approximate locations of two promoters are suggested. The detection of new electrophoretic species of LPS that may correspond to LPS biosynthetic intermediates, and the finding on the cell surfaces of structures corresponding to LPS core substituted with one or more O-specific sugars, appear to be novel findings.