Region II of the Haemophilus influenzae Type b capsulation locus as involved in serotype-specific polysaccharide synthesis |
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| Authors: | Johan Van Eldere Lisa Brophy Barbara Loynds Patrick Celts Ian Hancock Stephen Carman J. Simon Kroll E. Richard Moxon |
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| Affiliation: | Rega Institute for Medical Research, Catholic University of Leuven. Minderbroedersstraat 10, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.;Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital Headington. Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.;Department of Microbiology, University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH. UK.;Molecular Infectious Diseases Group, Department of Paediatrics, St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, Imperial College, London W2 1PG, UK. |
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| Abstract: | The central (serotype-specific) Region II of the Haemophilus influenzae Type b capsulation locus cap is 8.3 kb long and contains a cluster of four genes. We show that these genes, designated orf1 to orf4, are involved in the biosynthetic steps required for the formation of the Type b capsular polysaccharide and that orf1 probably encodes a CDP-ribitolpyrophosphorylase. We present evidence that growth of polysaccharide chains takes place through the alternating addition of single sugar nucleotides. |
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