Pathogenic Microbiology Commons^™

At The Interface Of Glycolipids And Glycoproteins In The Two Gastro-Intestinal Pathogens Campylobacter Jejuni And Helicobacter Pylori, Najwa Zebian

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Campylobacter jejuni and Helicobacter pylori are phylogenetically related human gastro-intestinal pathogens. C. jejuni colonizes the intestine and is the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. H. pylori colonizes the stomach of half the world’s population, causing gastritis, gastric ulcers and gastric cancer. Both pathogens express glycoproteins and glycolipids (capsule, lipooligosaccharide or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)) that are important in pathogenesis. Sugar units from capsule or LPS can modify proteins in several bacteria. We reasoned that this may occur in C. jejuni and H. pylori as means to diversify their surface glycosylation and aid in colonization, immune evasion and virulence.

The putative sugar …