Functional analysis of glycosyltransferases encoded by the capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis locus of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 14

Bacteria belonging to the species Streptococcus pneumoniae vary in their capsule. Presently, 90 capsular serotypes are known, all possessing their own specific polysaccharide structure. Little is known about the biosynthesis of these capsular polysaccharides. The cps locus of S. pneumoniae serotype 14 was cloned. So far, 7 open reading frames have been sequenced, cps14B to cps14H. The gene products are similar to proteins involved in bacterial polysaccharide biosynthesis, both of Gram-negative and -positive micro-organisms. Gene-specific mutants were created for cps14D to cps14H by insertional mutagenesis. All mutants no longer agglutinated with a monoclonal antibody against type 14 capsule polysaccharides. The biosynthetic function of cps14E and cps14G was determined by analysis of the intermediates in the synthesis of the oligosaccharide subunit, formed in membrane preparations of the wild-type and mutant strains and in membrane preparations of Escherichia coli expressing the pneumococcal glycosyltransferases. The enzyme encoded by cps14E is a glucosyl-1-phosphate transferase that links glucose to a lipid carrier, the first step in the biosynthesis of the type 14 repeating unit. The gene product of cps14G encodes a beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase, the enzyme responsible for the second step in the subunit synthesis, the transfer of galactose to lipid-linked glucose.