Microheterogeneity of Neisseria lipooligosaccharide: analysis of a UDP-glucose 4-epimerase mutant of Neisseria meningitidis NMB.

Neisseria meningitidis is the etiologic agent of epidemic bacterial meningitis. Lipooligosaccharide (LOS) is a principal virulence factor associated with the organism, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of LOS has demonstrated that there is considerable microheterogeneity in the molecule. To begin our understanding of the nature of this heterogeneity, we identified a Tn916-generated LOS mutant of N. meningitidis NMB (serotype L3, monoclonal antibodies 3F11+, 6B4+, and 4C4-) that was designated NMB-SS3 (monoclonal antibodies 3F11-, 6B4-, and 4C4+). The transposon insertion was localized to the amino terminus of the functional copy of the UDP-Glc 4-epimerase gene (galE). UDP-Glc 4-epimerase (EC 5.1.3.2) activity was present in N. meningitidis NMB but not in NMB-SS3, indicating that the Tn916 insertion had abolished this activity. Mass spectrometric analysis of the LOS from strain NMB revealed multiple species of LOS, which is consistent with extensive microheterogeneity. While the most predominant structure was consistent with a terminal lacto-N-neotetrose structure found in other strains of N. meningitidis, Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc beta 1-->3Gal beta 1-->4Glc-->(GlcNAc)-->Hep2PEA-->KDO2 (where Hep is heptose, PEA is phosphoethanolamine, and KDO is 2-keto-3-deoxymannooctulosonic acid), structures containing repetitive hexoses which are not precursors of this structure were also identified. Compositional analysis of LOS from strain NMB-SS3 revealed that there were no galactoses present in the structure. Mass spectrometric analysis of O-deacylated LOS revealed the presence of multiple species, with the predominant LOS species in this mutant strain formed by the Hex-->(HexNAc)-->Hep2PEA-->KDO2 (where Hex is hexose and HexNAc is N-acetylhexosamine) structure. However, LOS structures with repetitive hexoses, e.g., Hexn-->(HexNAc)-->Hep2PEA-->KDO2 (n = 2, 3, or 4), emanating from one or both heptoses were also identified. Since this mutant cannot synthesize UDP-Gal, these structures must repetitive glucoses. These data suggest that NMB has a glycosyltransferase capable of polymerizing glucose moieties as an alternative biosynthetic pathway to the wild-type lacto-N-neotetrose structure.