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Extensive surface diversity of a commensal microorganism by multiple DNA inversions

Author

Listed:
  • Corinna M. Krinos

    (Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School)

  • Michael J. Coyne

    (Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School)

  • Katja G. Weinacht

    (Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School)

  • Arthur O. Tzianabos

    (Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School)

  • Dennis L. Kasper

    (Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
    Harvard Medical School)

  • Laurie E. Comstock

    (Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School)

Abstract

The dynamic interactions between a host and its intestinal microflora that lead to commensalism are unclear. Bacteria that colonize the intestinal tract do so despite the development of a specific immune response by the host1. The mechanisms used by commensal organisms to circumvent this immune response have yet to be established. Here we demonstrate that the human colonic microorganism, Bacteroides fragilis, is able to modulate its surface antigenicity by producing at least eight distinct capsular polysaccharides—a number greater than any previously reported for a bacterium—and is able to regulate their expression in an on–off manner by the reversible inversion of DNA segments containing the promoters for their expression. This means of generating surface diversity allows the organism to exhibit a wide array of distinct surface polysaccharide combinations, and may have broad implications for how the predominant human colonic microorganisms, the Bacteroides species, maintain an ecological niche in the intestinal tract.

Suggested Citation

  • Corinna M. Krinos & Michael J. Coyne & Katja G. Weinacht & Arthur O. Tzianabos & Dennis L. Kasper & Laurie E. Comstock, 2001. "Extensive surface diversity of a commensal microorganism by multiple DNA inversions," Nature, Nature, vol. 414(6863), pages 555-558, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:414:y:2001:i:6863:d:10.1038_35107092
    DOI: 10.1038/35107092
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    Cited by:

    1. Steven D. Kelly & Mikel Jason Allas & Lawrence D. Goodridge & Todd L. Lowary & Chris Whitfield, 2024. "Structure, biosynthesis and regulation of the T1 antigen, a phase-variable surface polysaccharide conserved in many Salmonella serovars," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Jason Saba & Katia Flores & Bailey Marshall & Michael D. Engstrom & Yikai Peng & Atharv S. Garje & Laurie E. Comstock & Robert Landick, 2024. "Bacteroides expand the functional versatility of a conserved transcription factor and transcribed DNA to program capsule diversity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.

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