Molecular and functional analysis of the lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis locus wlb from Bordetella pertussis, Bordetella parapertussis and Bordetella bronchiseptica

Abstract

The Bordetella pertussis wlb locus (wlb(pe), formerly bpl) is required for the biosynthesis of a trisaccharide that, when attached to the B. pertussis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core (band B), generates band ALPS. The equivalent loci in Bordetella bronchiseptica (wlb(br)) and Bordetella parapertussis (Wlb(pa)) were identified and cloned. The wlb(br) and wlb(pa) loci differ from Wlb(pe) in that they lack the insertion sequence that defines the right-hand terminus of wlb(pe). Deletion of 12 kb of DNA containing the whole wlb locus (Δwlb) by allelic exchange in each of the three bordetellae had no effect on band B biosynthesis, whereas band A biosynthesis was prevented in B. pertussis and B. bron..