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Updated: May 23, 2026

Purification and Visualization of Lipopolysaccharide from Gram-negative Bacteria by Hot Aqueous-phenol Extraction
Published on: May 28, 2012
Synthesis of lipopolysaccharide O-antigens by ABC transporter-dependent pathways
Laura K Greenfield1, Chris Whitfield
1Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1.
Abstract:
The O-polysaccharide (O-PS; O-antigen) of bacterial lipopolysaccharides is made up of repeating units of one or more sugar residues and displays remarkable structural diversity. Despite the structural variations, there are only three strategies for O-PS assembly. The ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-transporter-dependent mechanism of O-PS biosynthesis is widespread. The Escherichia coli O9a and Klebsiella pneumoniae O2a antigens provide prototypes, which are distinguished by the fine details that link glycan polymerization and chain termination at the cytoplasmic face of the inner membrane to its export via the ABC transporter. Here, we describe the current understanding of these processes. Since glycoconjugate assembly complexes that utilize an ABC transporter-dependent pathway are widespread among the bacterial kingdom, the models described here are expected to extend beyond O-PS biosynthesis systems.
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