Vibrio cholerae O1 Inaba lipopolysaccharide (V. cholerae O1 Inaba LPS)

Vibrio cholerae O1 Inaba lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a critical surface-exposed glycolipid of the Gram-negative bacterium Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera (Chatterjee & Chaudhuri, 2011). The LPS molecule is composed of three regions: the hydrophobic lipid A, a core oligosaccharide, and the O-specific polysaccharide (O-antigen) (Kenne et al., 1982). The O-antigen of the Inaba serotype is characterized by a homopolymer of alpha(1-2)-linked 4-amino-4,6-dideoxy-D-mannose (perosamine) units that specifically lack the 2-O-methyl group found in the Ogawa serotype (Ito et al., 1993). This O-antigen is the primary target for protective immunity, as antibodies directed against it can prevent bacterial attachment to the intestinal mucosa and promote vibriocidal activity (Clemens et al., 2017). Consequently, Inaba LPS is a key component in both killed and live-attenuated oral cholera vaccines, such as Dukoral and Shanchol (WHO, 2017). Therapeutic strategies focusing on this target primarily involve immunization to elicit long-lasting mucosal and systemic antibody responses to prevent the severe dehydration and diarrhea associated with cholera outbreaks (Harris et al., 2012). Additionally, the LPS serves as a diagnostic marker for identifying the Inaba serotype during epidemiological surveillance (CDC, 2022). The structural integrity of the LPS is also essential for the bacterium's resistance to bile salts and other environmental stressors within the host's small intestine (Chatterjee & Chaudhuri, 2011). Research into synthetic O-antigen conjugates continues to explore more stable and immunogenic alternatives to traditional whole-cell vaccines (Grandjean et al., 2014).

Other names

Inaba O-antigenVibrio cholerae O1 Inaba O-specific polysaccharideO1 Inaba LPSV. cholerae O1 Inaba surface antigen

Induction of protective mucosal immunity (IgA) and serum vibriocidal antibodies that inhibit bacterial colonization and neutralize the pathogen (WHO, 2017; Clemens et al., 2017).