Disease relevance of rfe

• The Escherichia coli O8 antigen is a mannan composed of the trisaccharide repeat unit -->3)-alpha-Man-(1-->2)-alpha-Man-(1-->2)-alpha-Man-(1--> (K. Reske and K. Jann, Eur. J. Biochem. 67:53-56, 1972), and synthesis of the O8 antigen is rfe dependent (G. Schmidt, H. Mayer, and P. H. Mäkelä, J. Bacteriol. 127:755-762, 1976) [1].

High impact information on rfe

• The rfe-rff gene cluster of E. coli K-12 was cloned in the cosmid pHC79 [2].
• The genetic determinants of enterobacterial common antigen (ECA) include the rfe and rff genes located between ilv and cya near min 85 on the Escherichia coli chromosome [2].
• Data are also presented which suggest the possibility that the rfe gene is the structural gene for the tunicamycin sensitive UDP-GlcNAc:undecaprenylphosphate GlcNAc-1-phosphate transferase that catalyzes the synthesis of GlcNAc-pyrophosphorylundecaprenol (lipid I), the first lipid-linked intermediate involved in ECA synthesis [2].
• When the 10.5 kb rff genes of the plasmid were inactivated by either deletion or Tn5 insertion, the plasmid lost its ability to give rise to transformants of the rfe mutants [3].
• We have cloned a 13 kb Escherichia coli DNA fragment which complemented the rfe mutation to recover the biosynthesis of E. coli O9 polysaccharide [3].

Chemical compound and disease context of rfe

• The rfe-defective mutant of S. typhimurium synthesized only very small amounts of E. coli O9 LPS after the introduction of E. coli O9 rfb [4].

Biological context of rfe

• From sequence analysis of the rfe gene, a putative promoter followed by an open reading frame (ORF) was identified downstream of the rho gene [3].

Associations of rfe with chemical compounds

• The rfe gene has recently been identified as encoding a tunicamycin-sensitive UDP-GlcNAc:undecaprenylphosphate GlcNAc-1-phosphate transferase (U. Meier-Dieter, K. Barr, R. Starman, L. Hatch, and P. D. Rick, J. Biol. Chem. 267:746-753, 1992) [1].

Other interactions of rfe

• Replacement of sequences B-F with prokaryotic counterparts from either the B.subtilis mraY or E.coli rfe genes also affected GPT by preventing expression of the mutant protein (B, F) or inhibiting its enzymatic activity (C-E) [5].
• Synthesis of D-galactan I was dependent on chromosomal galE and rfe genes [6].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of rfe

• Nucleotide sequence of the Escherichia coli rfe gene involved in the synthesis of enterobacterial common antigen. Molecular cloning of the rfe-rff gene cluster [2].
• This ORF coincided with the position of the rfe gene determined by Tn5 analysis and site-directed mutagenesis [3].
• DNA extracted from bacteria in the swabs was tested for the presence of wecA gene specific for E. coli by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) [7].

References