The capsular polysaccharide A is expressed on the cell surface of the prokaryote Bacteroides Fragilis. The role of bacterial capsular polysaccharides and the pathways that produce them are integral in human health. The focus of our lab is to elucidate the biosynthetic route to capsular polysaccharide A because of the possible therapeutic uses for diseases ranging from Multiple Sclerosis to Inflammatory Bowel Disease. One of the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of CPSA is WcfM, which is proposed to be a galactopyranose mutase, which is responsible for the conversion of galactopyranose to galactofuranose. The focus of this study is to express, isolate and determine the activity of WcfM.

Identification of the role of WcfM in the biosynthesis of the CPSA of bacteroides fragilis

245th National Meeting (2013)

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