Abstract: The present chapter is devoted to biosynthesis pathways of various bacterial surface polysaccharides, including slime exopolysaccharides and capsular polysaccharides, as well as the O-antigen polysaccharide chains of lipopolysaccharides. The polysaccharides are extraordinarily diverse in structure and define the specificity of interaction between bacteria and their environments, including interactions with host organisms, bacteriophages, and natural predators. As such, both homopolysaccharides and heteropolysaccharides produced by bacteria have an important function in bacterial lifestyle, particularly in protection of human pathogens against the immune system response and some antimicrobials. In both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, biosynthesis of most cell-surface heteropolysaccharides is accomplished by the Wzy-dependent pathway, whereas some exopolysaccharides, such as a β-(1→6)-linked polymer of D-GlcpNAc called PNAG, are synthesized by the synthase-dependent pathway. For synthesis of homopolysaccharides and some heteropolysaccharides with a small (di- or tri-saccharide) repeating unit, gram-negative bacteria use the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter-dependent pathway. A fourth pathway is utilized for the extracellular synthesis of several glucans and fructus by a single sucrase protein. The specific mechanisms of these pathways, including a brief view on the genetics of the polysaccharide biosynthesis, is provided.

Cite: Knirel Y.A. , Kenyon J.J.
Biosynthesis of Bacterial Polysaccharides
In compilation Polysaccharides of Microbial Origin. – Springer Nature., 2022. – C.453-479. – ISBN 978-3-030-42215-8. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-42215-8_28 OpenAlex

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