Bordetella pertussis waaa encodes a monofunctional 2-keto-3-deoxy-D- manno-octulosonic acid transferase that can complement an Escherichia coli waaA mutation

Abstract

Bordetella pertussis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) contains a single 2-keto- 3-deoxy-o-manno-octulosonic acid (Kdo) residue, whereas LPS from Escherichia coli contains at least two. Here we report that B. pertussis waaA encodes an enzyme capable of transferring only a single Kdo during the biosynthesis of LPS and that this activity is sufficient to complement an E. coli waoA mutation.