Deletion of the heptosyltransferase genes rfaC and rfaF in Escherichia coli K-12 results in an Re-type lipopolysaccharide with a high degree of 2-aminoethanol phosphate substitution

The chromosomal genes rfaC and rfaF of Escherichia coli W3110 were inactivated by allelic-replacement mutagenesis to generate a defined strain lacking both heptosyltransferases which catalyze in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis the transfer of the first two L-glycero-D-manno-heptose (Hep) residues to 3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonic acid (Kdo). The LPS of the mutant was isolated and its chemical structure was investigated by compositional analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of isolated, deacylated oligosaccharide phosphates. The basic structure was a tetrasaccharide alpha-Kdo-(2-->4)-alpha-Kdo-(2-->6)-beta-D-GlcN4P-(1-->6)-alpha-D- GlcN1P which in LPS was substituted at position 07 of Kdo II by 2-aminoethanol phosphate in non-stoichiometric amounts. 2-Aminoethanol was cleaved during deacylation of the LPS by successive hydrazinolysis and KOH treatment and, in addition, phosphate migration from 07 to 08 of Kdo II occurred. Thus, the oligosaccharides alpha-Kdo7P-(2-->4)-alpha-Kdo-(2-->6)-beta-D-GlcN4P-(1-->6)- alpha-D-GlcN1P and alpha-Kdo8P-(2-->4)-alpha-Kdo-(2-->6)-beta-D-GlcN4P-(1-->6)- alpha-D-GlcN1P could be isolated. KOH treatment of the two trisphosphates and authentic methyl 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulopyranoside 7-(2-acetamidoethyl phosphate) proved that phosphate migration only took place when the phosphate group was substituted with 2-aminoethanol. Complementation studies with plasmid-encoded rfaC and rfaF genes revealed that the mutant strain can be used in combination with LPS-specific antibodies for the cloning and characterization of heptosytransferases which glycosylate Kdo residues of the inner core region of LPS.