Unique Lipid A Modifications in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from the Airways of Patients with Cystic Fibrosis
Departments of 1Medicine, 2Pediatrics, 3Microbiology, and 4Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle; 5Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious and Immunological Diseases, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Three structural features of lipid A (addition of palmitate [C16 fatty acid], addition of aminoarabinose [positively charged amino sugar residue], and retention of 3‐hydroxydecanoate [3‐OH C10 fatty acid]) were determined for Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF; 
), from the environment (
), and from patients with other conditions (
). Among P. aeruginosa CF isolates, 100% had lipid A with palmitate, 24.6% with aminoarabinose, and 33.3% retained 3‐hydroxydecanoate. None of the isolates from the environment or from patients with other conditions displayed these modifications. These results indicate that unique lipid A modifications occur in clinical P. aeruginosa CF isolates.
Received 25 January 2007; accepted 8 May 2007; electronically published 22 August 2007.
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Online publication date: 15-Mar-2009.
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Online publication date: 1-May-2008.
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Potential conflicts of interest: none reported.
Financial support: National Institutes of Health (grant AI047938 to R.K.E., grants K08HL67903 and M01RR‐00037 to S.M.M., and grant K064954 to S.I.M.); Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (support to R.K.E. and grant MOSKOW01A1 to S.M.M.); Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (support to D.P.S.)