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Journal of Bacteriology, October 2009, p. 6203-6210, Vol. 191, No. 20
0021-9193/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00592-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Capsular Polysaccharide Production in Enterococcus faecalis and Contribution of CpsF to Capsule Serospecificity {triangledown} ,{dagger}

Lance R. Thurlow, Vinai Chittezham Thomas, and Lynn E. Hancock*

Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506

Received 6 May 2009/ Accepted 24 July 2009

Many bacterial species produce capsular polysaccharides that contribute to pathogenesis through evasion of the host innate immune system. The gram-positive pathogen Enterococcus faecalis was previously reported to produce one of four capsule serotypes (A, B, C, or D). Previous studies describing the four capsule serotypes of E. faecalis were based on immunodetection methods; however, the underlying genetics of capsule production did not fully support these findings. Previously, it was shown that capsule production for serotype C (Maekawa type 2) was dependent on the presence of nine open reading frames (cpsC to cpsK). Using a novel genetic system, we demonstrated that seven of the nine genes in the cps operon are essential for capsule production, indicating that serotypes A and B do not make a capsular polysaccharide. In support of this observation, we showed that serotype C and D capsule polysaccharides mask lipoteichoic acid from detection by agglutinating antibodies. Furthermore, we determined that the genetic basis for the difference in antigenicity between serotypes C and D is the presence of cpsF in serotype C strains. High-pH anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection analysis of serotype C and D capsules indicated that cpsF is responsible for glucosylation of serotype C capsular polysaccharide in E. faecalis.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Division of Biology, Kansas State University, 119 Ackert Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506. Phone: (785) 532-6122. Fax: (785) 532-6653. E-mail: lynnh{at}ksu.edu

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 14 August 2009.

{dagger} Supplemental material for this article may be found at http://jb.asm.org/.

Journal of Bacteriology, October 2009, p. 6203-6210, Vol. 191, No. 20
0021-9193/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00592-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Thurlow, L. R., Thomas, V. C., Fleming, S. D., Hancock, L. E. (2009). Enterococcus faecalis Capsular Polysaccharide Serotypes C and D and Their Contributions to Host Innate Immune Evasion. Infect. Immun. 77: 5551-5557 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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