Antibiotucs

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 possesses two distinct types of O polysaccharide, A and B band LPSs, but the majority of clinical isolates from cystic fibrosis patients who are infected with the organism possess only the A band as the major LPS antigen. The initial step in a series of events during the uptake of aminoglycoside antibiotics such as gentamicin is the ionic binding of the molecule to the cell surface. In an attempt to elucidate the role of A and B band LPSs of P. aeruginosa in this passive ionic binding of gentamicin to the outer membrane and its possible lethal effects, strains PAO1 (A+B+) and LPS isogenic derivatives (A+B-,A-B+,A-B-) were treated with the antibiotic...