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. 1997 Apr;179(7):2421–2425. doi: 10.1128/jb.179.7.2421-2425.1997

Influence of different rol gene products on the chain length of Shigella dysenteriae type 1 lipopolysaccharide O antigen expressed by Shigella flexneri carrier strains.

S R Klee 1, B D Tzschaschel 1, K N Timmis 1, C A Guzman 1
PMCID: PMC178982  PMID: 9079931

Abstract

Introduction of the rol genes of Shigella dysenteriae 1 and Escherichia coli K-12 into Shigella flexneri carrier strains expressing the heterologous S. dysenteriae type 1 lipopolysaccharide resulted in the formation of longer chains of S. dysenteriae 1 O antigen. In bacteria producing both homologous and heterologous O antigen, this resulted in a reduction of the masking of heterologous O antigen by homologous lipopolysaccharide and an increased immune response induced by intraperitoneal immunization of mice by recombinant bacteria. The rol genes of S. dysenteriae 1 and E. coli K-12 were sequenced, and their gene products were compared with the S. flexneri Rol protein. The primary sequence of S. flexneri Rol differs from both E. coli K-12 and S. dysenteriae 1 Rol proteins only at positions 267 and 270, which suggests that this region may be responsible for the difference in biological activities.

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Selected References

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