Redefinition of the carbohydrate binding specificity of Helicobacter pylori BabA adhesin.

• Certain Helicobacter pylori strains adhere to the human gastric epithelium using the BabA adhesin (blood group antigen binding adhesin). All BabA-expressing H. pylori strains bind to the blood group O determinants on type 1 core chains, i.e. to the Lewis b antigen (Fucα2Galβ3(Fucα4)GlcNAc; Leb) and the H type 1 determinant (Fucα2Galβ3GlcNAc). Recently BabA strains have been categorized into those recognizing only Leb and H type 1 determinants (designated specialist strains), and those that also bind to A and B type 1 determinants (designated generalist strain). Here, the structural requirements for carbohydrate recognition by generalist and specialist BabA were further explored by binding of these types of strains to a panel of different glycosphingolipids. Three glycosphingolipids recognized by both specialist and generalist BabA were isolated from the small intestine of a blood group O pig, and characterized by mass spectrometry and proton NMR as H type 1 pentaglycosylceramide (Fucα2Galβ3GlcNAcβ3Galβ4Glcβ1Cer), Globo H hexaglycosylceramide (Fucα2Galβ3GalNAcβ3Galα4Galβ4Glcβ1Cer), and a mixture of three complex glycosphingolipids (Fucα2Galβ4GlcNAcβ6(Fucα2Galβ3GlcNAcβ3)Galβ3GlcNAcβ3Galβ4Glcβ1Cer, Fucα2Galβ3GlcNAcβ6(Fucα2Galβ3GlcNAcβ3)Galβ3GlcNAcβ3Galβ4Glcβ1Cer and Fucα2Galβ4(Fucα3)GlcNAcβ6(Fucα2Galβ3GlcNAcβ3)Galβ3GlcNAcβ3Galβ4Glcβ1Cer). In addition to the binding of both strains to the Globo H hexaglycosylceramide, i.e. a blood group O determinant on a type 4 core chain, the generalist strain bound to the Globo A heptaglycosylceramide (GalNAcα3(Fucα2)Galβ3GalNAcβ3Galα4Galβ4Glcβ1Cer), i.e. a blood group A determinant on a type 4 core chain. The binding of BabA to the two sets of isoreceptors is due to onformational similarities of the terminal disaccharides of H type 1 and Globo H, and of the terminal trisaccharides of A type 1 and Globo A.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Kirurgi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Surgery (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)