Identification ofN-Acetylhexosamine 1-Kinase in the Complete Lacto-N-Biose I/Galacto-N-Biose Metabolic Pathway inBifidobacterium longum

Authors:
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We have determined the functions of the enzymes encoded by thelnpB, lnpC, andlnpDgenes, located downstream of the lacto-N-biose phosphorylase gene (lnpA), inBifidobacterium longumJCM1217. ThelnpBgene encodes a novel kinase,N-acetylhexosamine 1-kinase, which producesN-acetylhexosamine 1-phosphate; thelnpCgene encodes UDP-glucose hexose 1-phosphate uridylyltransferase, which is also active onN-acetylhexosamine 1-phosphate; and thelnpDgene encodes a UDP-glucose 4-epimerase, which is active on both UDP-galactose and UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine. These results suggest that the gene operonlnpABCDencodes a previously undescribed lacto-N-biose I/galacto-N-biose metabolic pathway that is involved in the intestinal colonization of bifidobacteria and that utilizes lacto-N-biose I from human milk oligosaccharides or galacto-N-biose from mucin sugars.

This publication has 28 references indexed in Scilit: