Biosynthesis of T1 antigen in Salmonella: origin of D-galactofuranose and D-ribofuranose residues.

The "T1 side chain" portion of cell wall lipopolysaccharide from T1 strains of Salmonella contains d-galactofuranose and d-ribofuranose residues. Isotope labeling studies, using intact cells of mutants each blocked at either of the two different steps of d-galactose metabolism (uridine diphosphate-glucose 4-epimerase and galactose-1-P uridylyl transferase) or at phosphoglucoisomerase, led to the following conclusions. (i) d-Galactofuranose residues are synthesized from d-galactopyranose or its derivatives, rather than by a direct conversion from other hexopyranoses or their derivatives. (ii) The pyranose-to-furanose conversion does not appear to take place at the level of the free d-galactose or d-galactose 1-phosphate. This result suggests that the conversion may occur at the stage of uridine diphosphate-d-galactose. (iii) In a mutant lacking phosphoglucoisomerase, d-ribofuranose residues in T1 side chains contained (14)C derived from exogenous d-fructose-U-(14)C, but little (3)H from exogenous d-glucose-1-(3)H. Thus, no evidence was found for a direct pathway of aldohexose-to-ribose conversion involving a loss of one of the carbons in the C2-C6 moiety of aldohexoses. This suggests, but does not prove, that the T1 ribofuranose residues are synthesized by conventional mechanisms involving hexose monophosphate shunt and transketolase-transaldolase reactions.