Lipopolysaccharide Biosynthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Systems
Summary
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic Gram‐negative pathogen, owes much of its environmental resilience and virulence to the elaborate biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS comprises three principal domains: lipid A, the glycolipid anchor; the core oligosaccharide, linking lipid A to the surface polysaccharide; and the O-antigen, a repeating sugar polymer that determines serotype specificity. Biosynthesis initiates in the cytoplasm with nucleotide-activated sugar precursors that are assembled by a suite of glycosyltransferases. The immature oligosaccharide is then translocated across the inner membrane, modified in the periplasm and eventually ligated to lipid A by LPS ligase. Concurrently, O-antigen repeat units are synthesised on an undecaprenyl phosphate carrier, polymerised by Wzx/Wzy-dependent machinery and exported via the ABC transporter. Complex regulatory networks, including two‐component systems and sigma factors, fine-tune gene cluster expression in response to environmental cues. Perturbation of specific enzymes or transport components can dramatically alter membrane integrity, antibiotic susceptibility and host immune recognition, underlining the global significance of LPS biosynthesis as a target for antimicrobial development.
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Lipopolysaccharide Biosynthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis in pseudomonas aeruginosa systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS): A tripartite glycolipid forming the outer leaflet of the Gram-negative outer membrane, crucial for barrier function and immune recognition.
O-antigen: The distal polysaccharide polymer of LPS, composed of repeating sugar units that determine bacterial serotype and modulate host interactions.
Glycosyltransferase: An enzyme catalysing the transfer of sugar moieties from activated donors (e.g. UDP-sugars) to acceptors during oligosaccharide assembly.
Core oligosaccharide: The linker region between lipid A and the O-antigen, composed of conserved sugar residues essential for membrane stability.
Serotype switching: The replacement of one O-antigen biosynthetic gene cluster by another via horizontal gene transfer, altering surface antigenicity and pathogenic traits.
References
- Structural and functional insights into the Pseudomonas aeruginosa glycosyltransferase WaaG and the implications for lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. Journal of Biological Chemistry (2023).
- Serotype switching in Pseudomonas aeruginosa ST111 enhances adhesion and virulence. PLOS Pathogens (2024).
- A bittersweet fate: detection of serotype switching in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microbial Genomics (2023).
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