Otitis media caused by nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a common and recurrent bacterial infection of childhood. The structural variability and diversity of H. influenzae lipopolysaccharide (LPS) glycoforms are known to play a significant role in the commensal and disease-causing behavior of this pathogen. In this study, we determined LPS glycoform populations from NTHi strain 1003 during the course of experimental otitis media in the chinchilla model of infection by mass spectrometric techniques. Building on an established structural model of the major LPS glycoforms expressed by this NTHi strain in vitro (M. Mansson, W. Hood, J. Li, J. C. Richards, E. R. Moxon, and E. K. Schweda, Eur. J. Biochem. 269:808-818, 2002), minor isomeric glycoform populations were determined by liquid chromatography multiple-step tandem electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MSn). Using capillary electrophoresis ESI-MS (CE-ESI-MS), we determined glycoform profiles for bacteria from direct middle ear fluid (MEF) samples. The LPS glycan profiles were essentially the same when the MEF samples of 7 of 10 animals were passaged on solid medium (chocolate agar). LC-ESI-MSn provided a sensitive method for determining the isomeric distribution of LPS glycoforms in MEF and passaged specimens. To investigate changes in LPS glycoform distribution during the course of infection, MEF samples were analyzed at 2, 5, and 9 days postinfection by CE-ESI-MS following minimal passage on chocolate agar. As previously observed, sialic acid-containing glycoforms were detected during the early stages of infection, but a trend toward more-truncated and less-complex LPS glycoforms that lacked sialic acid was found as disease progressed.

LPS of NTHi comprises a conserved tri-L-glycero-D-manno-heptosyl inner-core moiety (L-alpha-D-Hepp-(1 -> 2)-[PEtn -> 6]-L-alpha-D-Hepp-(1 -> 3)-[beta-D-Glcp-(1 -> 4)]-L-alpha-D-Hepp-(1 -> 5)-alpha-Kdop) in which addition of PEtn to the central heptose (HepII) in strain Rd is controlled by the gene lpt6. It was recently shown that NTHi strain 981 contains an additional PEtn linked to O-3 of the terminal heptose of the inner-core moiety (HepIII). In order to establish whether lpt6 is also involved in adding PEtn to HepIII, lpt6 in strain 981 was inactivated. The structure of the LPS of the resulting mutant strain 981lpt6 was investigated by MS and NMR techniques by which it was confirmed that the lpt6 gene product is responsible for addition of PEtn to O-6 of HepII in strain 981. However, it is not responsible for adding PEtn to O-3 of HepIII since the 981lpt6 mutant still had full substitution with PEtn at HepIII

Structural analysis of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae strain 981 has been achieved using NMR spectroscopy and ESI-MS on O-deacylated LPS and core oligosaccharide (OS) material as well as by ESI-MSn on permethylated dephosphorylated OS. A heterogeneous glycoform population was identified, resulting from the variable length of the OS branches attached to the glucose residue in the common structural element of H. influenzae LPS, L-alpha-d-Hepp -(1-->2)-[P Etn-->6]-L-alpha-d-Hepp -(1-->3)-[beta-d-Glcxp-(1-->4)]-L-alpha-d-Hepp -(1-->5)-[PP Etn-->4]-alpha-Kdop -(2-->6)-Lipid A. Notably, the O-6 position of the beta-d-Glcp residue was either substituted by P Cho or the disaccharide branch beta-d-Galp-(1-->4)-d-alpha-d-Hepp, while the O-4 position was substituted by the globotetraose unit, beta-d-Galp NAc-(1-->3)-alpha-d-Galp -(1-->4)-beta-d-Galp -(1-->4)-beta-d-Glcp, or sequentially truncated versions thereof. This is the first time a branching sugar residue has been reported in the outer-core region of H. influenzae LPS. Additionally, a P Etn group was identified at O-3 of the distal heptose residue in the inner-core.

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is an important cause of otitis media and respiratory tract infections. Its lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecule, an outer membrane component, is a major virulence factor of NTHi. The LPS molecule may also be an efficient target for antibodies which might be protective against NTHi disease. The present thesis describes the structural analyses of the LPS from a number of NTHi clinical isolates. These isolates have been selected to be representative of the genetic diversity in the natural population of NTHi. The studies revealed extended inter- and intrastrain variability in LPS expression but also the presence of a conserved structural element. Several novel structural features were found, including epitopes not previously observed in Haemophilus influenzae LPS. The studies were performed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and different chemical degradations of the LPS as the principal methods.

Structural analysis of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae strain 1003 has been achieved by the application of high-field NMR techniques, ESI-MS. capillary electrophoresis coupled to ESI-MS. composition and linkage analyses on O-deacylated LPS and core oligosaccharide material. It was found that the LPS contains the common structural element of H. influenzae, L-alpha-D-Hepp-(1 --> 2)-[PEtn --> 6]-L-alpha-D-Hepp-(1 --> 3)-[beta-D-Glcp-(1 --> 4)]-L-alpha-D-Hepp-(1 --> 5)-[PP Etn --> 4]-alpha-Kdop-(2 --> 6)-Lipid A. in which the beta-D-Glcp residue is substituted by phosphocholine at O-6 and an acetyl group at O-4. A second acetyl group is located at O-3 of the distal heptose residue (HepIII). HepIII is chain elongated at O-2 by either a beta-D-Glcp residue (major), lactose or sialyllactose (minor, i.e. alpha-Neu5Ac-(2 --> 3)-beta-D-Galp-(1 --> 4)-beta-D-Glcp), where a third minor acetylation site was identified at the glucose residue. Disialylated species were also detected. In addition. a minor substitution of ester-linked glycine at HepIII and Kdo was observed.

Structural elucidation of the sialylated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) strain 486 has been achieved by the application of high-field NMR techniques and ESI-MS along with composition and linkage analyses on O-deacylated LPS and oligosaccharide samples. It was found that the LPS contains the common element of H. influenzae, L-alpha -D-Hepp-(1-->2)][PEtn-->6]-L-alpha -D-Hepp-(1-->3)-[beta -D-Glcp-( 1-->4)]-L-alpha -D-Hepp-(1-->5)- [PPEtn-->4]-alpha -Kdop- (2-->6)-Lipid A, but instead of glycosyl substitution of the terminal heptose residue (HepIII) at the O2 position observed in other H. influenzae strains, HepIII is chain elongated at the O3 position by either lactose or sialyllactose (i.e. alpha -Neu5Ac(2-->3)-beta -D-Galp-(1-->4)-beta -D-Glcp). The LPS is substituted by an O-acetyl group linked to the O2 position of HepIII and phosphocholine (PCho) which was located at the O6 position of a terminal alpha -D-Glcp, residue attached to the central heptose, a molecular environment different from what has been reported earlier for PCho. In addition, minor substitution by O-linked glycine to the LPS was observed. By investigation of LPS from a lpsA mutant of NTHi strain 486, it was demonstrated that the lpsA gene product also is responsible for chain extension from HepIII in this strain. The involvement of lic1 in expression of PCho was established by investigation of a lic1 mutant of NTHi strain 486.

In view of the importance of 5-N-acetyl neuraminic acid in bacterial pathogenesis, a sensitive, reproducible and reliable method for the determination of 5-N-acetyl neuraminic acid levels in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is described and applied to 24 different non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) strains. The method involves analysis by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) of terminal 5-N-acetyl neuraminic acid residues released by neuraminidase treatment of O-deacylated LPS. The procedure is relatively fast and the instrumental effort is moderate. The results of the procedure were compared with data obtained by H-1 NMR and electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The analysis of LPS from 24 NTHi strains showed that 5-N-acetyl neuraminic acid was found to be a common constituent of LPS in NTHi. Only one strain (NTHi 432) did not show any sialylation. Molar ratios (LPS /5-N-acetyl neuraminic acid) ranged between 5/1 and 500/1. Several strains in which no 5-N-acetyl neuraminic acid could be determined by other methods including 1H NMR and ESI-MS were shown to contain 5-N-acetyl neuraminic acid by this HPAEC-PAD procedure. The method was applied to determine levels of terminal 5-N-acetyl neuraminic acid in LPS from NTHi strains grown under different conditions and mutant strains containing inactive LPS biosynthetic genes.

A survey of both typeable and nontypeable strainsof Haemophilus influenzae indicated that they contain glycine (Gly) in their lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Significant amounts (30-250 pmol Gly/mug LPS) were determined by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography using pulsed amperometric detection after treatment of the LPS with mild alkali. Oligosaccharides obtained from LPS after mild acid hydrolysis and gel filtration chromatography were investigated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) ESI-MS. In all cases, molecular ions corresponding to the major glycoforms were identified and were accompanied by ions differing by 57 Da, thus indicating the presence of glycine. The position of glycine in these glycoforms was determined by CE-ESI-MS/MS analyses. It was found that, depending on strain, glycine can substitute each of the heptoses of the inner-core element, L-alpha-D-Hepp-(1-->2)-[PEtn-->6]-L-alpha-D-Hepp-(1-->3)-L-alpha-D-Hepp- (1-->5)-alpha-Kdo of H. influenzae LPS as well as Kdo. In some strains, mixtures of monosubstituted Gly-containing glycoforms having different substitution patterns were identified.