Characterization of terminal NeuNAcalpha2-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc sequence in lipooligosaccharides of Neisseria meningitidis |
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Authors: | Tsai CM; Chen WH; Balakonis PA |
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Institution: | Division of Bacterial Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, FDA, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. |
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Abstract: | Group B and C Neisseria meningitidis are the major cause of meningococcal
disease in the United States and in Europe. N . meningitidis
lipooligosaccharide (LOS), a major surface antigen, can be divided into 12
immunotypes of which L1 through L8 were found among Group B and C
organisms. Groups B and C but not Group A may sialylate their LOSs with
N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuNAc) at the nonreducing end because they
synthesize CMP-NeuNAc. Using sialic acid-galactose binding lectins as
probes in an ELISA format, six of the eight LOS immunotypes (L2, L3, L4,
L5, L7, and L8) in Groups B and C bound specifically to Maackia amurensis
leukoagglutinin (MAL), which recognizes NeuNAcalpha2- 3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc/Glc
sequence, but not to Sambucus nigra agglutinin, which binds
NeuNAcalpha2-6Gal sequence. The combination of SDS-PAGE and MAL-blot
analyses revealed that these six LOSs contained only the
NeuNAcalpha2-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc trisaccharide sequence in their 4.1 kDa LOS
components, which have a common terminal lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT,
Galbeta1-4GlcNAcbeta1-3Galbeta1-4Glc) structure when nonsialylated as shown
by previous studies. The LOS-lectin binding was abolished when the LOSs
were treated with Newcastle disease viral neuraminidase which cleaves
alpha2-->3 linked sialic acid. Methylation analysis of a representative
LOS (L2) confirmed that NeuNAc is 2-->3 linked to Gal. Thus, these LOSs
structurally mimic certain glycolipids, i.e., paragloboside (LNnT-ceramide)
and sialylparagloboside and some glycoproteins in having LNnT and
N-acetyllactosamine sequences, respectively, with or without alpha2-->3
linked NeuNAc. The molecular mimicry of the LOSs may play a role in the
pathogenesis of N.meningitidis by assisting the organism to evade host
immune defenses in man.
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