NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Infection with Campylobacter jejuni is thought to trigger Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) by inducing antibodies that cross-react with gangliosides in nervous tissue. Now, new research shows that specific C. jejuni genes are needed for the induction of these antibodies.
Cross-reactive antibodies form because the lipo-oligosaccharides (LOS) found in C. jejuni mimic gangliosides, according to the report in the Journal of Clinical Investigation for December 1.
In the present study, Dr. Peggy C. R. Godschalk, from Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and colleagues decided to determine what bacterial genes were crucial for this mimicry by comparing the LOS locus of C. jejuni strains that did and did not cause GBS.
The investigators identified two genes, which were involved in LOS sialylation, that seemed to play a key role in ganglioside mimicry. C. jejuni mutants missing these genes produced LOS structures that lacked sialic acid, showed decreased reactivity with GBS patient serum, and failed to induce anti-ganglioside antibodies in mice.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study that analyzed the LOS locus of a large collection of neuropathy-associated and control C. jejuni strains,” the authors note.
“Increased insight into the biosynthesis of ganglioside-mimicking structures may ultimately lead to the development of new treatment strategies and interventions,” they add.
Source: J Clin Invest 2004;114:1659-1665. [ Google search on this article ]
MeSH Headings:Biochemical Phenomena: Biochemical Phenomena, Metabolism, and Nutrition: Biological Sciences: Biology: Genetics: Genetics, Biochemical: Immunogenetics: Molecular Biology: Molecular Mimicry: Biological SciencesCopyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
