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Endotoxins: Lipopolysaccharides of Gram-Negative Bacteria

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Endotoxins: Structure, Function and Recognition

Part of the book series: Subcellular Biochemistry ((SCBI,volume 53))

Abstract

Endotoxin refers lipopolysaccharide that constitutes the outer leaflet of the outer membrane of most Gram-negative bacteria. Lipopolysaccharide is comprised of a hydrophilic polysaccharide and a hydrophobic component known as lipid A which is responsible for the major bioactivity of endotoxin. Lipopolysaccharide can be recognized by immune cells as a pathogen-associated molecule through Toll-like receptor 4. Most enzymes and genes related to the biosynthesis and export of lipopolysaccharide have been identified in Escherichia coli, and they are shared by most Gram-negative bacteria based on available genetic information. However, the detailed structure of lipopolysaccharide differs from one bacterium to another, suggesting that additional enzymes that can modify the basic structure of lipopolysaccharide exist in bacteria, especially some pathogens. These structural modifications of lipopolysaccharide are sometimes tightly regulated. They are not required for survival but closely related to the virulence of bacteria. In this chapter we will focus on the mechanism of biosynthesis and export of lipopolysaccharide in bacteria.

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Abbreviations

LPS:

lipopolysaccharide

TLR4:

Toll-like receptor 4

Kdo:

3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid

Hep:

l-glycero-d-manno-heptose

CAMPs:

cationic antimicrobial peptides

α-l-Ara4N:

4-amino-4-deoxy-α-l-arabinose

Und-P-α-l-Ara4N:

undecaprenyl phosphate-l-Ara4N

galacturonic acid:

GalA

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Acknowledgements

Funding was provided by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC 30770114, NSFC30870074), the Program of State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology (SKLF-MB-200801), the 111 project (111-2-06), the Basic Research Programs of Jiangsu Province (BK2009003), and the Human Science Frontier Programme (RGP0016/2005C).

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  1. State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, China

    Xiaoyuan Wang

  2. Department of Biochemistry, King’s College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK

    Peter J. Quinn

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Correspondence to Xiaoyuan Wang .

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  1. Dept. Biochemistry, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, China, People's Republic

    Xiaoyuan Wang

  2. European Southern Observatory (ESO), Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, Garching, 85748, Germany

    Peter J. Quinn

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Wang, X., Quinn, P.J. (2010). Endotoxins: Lipopolysaccharides of Gram-Negative Bacteria. In: Wang, X., Quinn, P. (eds) Endotoxins: Structure, Function and Recognition. Subcellular Biochemistry, vol 53. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9078-2_1

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