Vibrio cholerae O1 O-specific polysaccharide (OSP) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (OSP and LPS)

Vibrio cholerae O1 O-specific polysaccharide (OSP) is the essential surface antigen of the O1 serogroup of Vibrio cholerae, which is the principal cause of epidemic cholera (Harris et al., 2012, Lancet). OSP is the distal part of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecule and is composed of a homopolymer of alpha-1,2-linked 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-glycero-D-talo-heptopyranose (perosamine) units (Kasper et al., 2016, Science Translational Medicine). This molecule determines the serotype of the strain—Ogawa or Inaba—based on the presence or absence of a 2-O-methyl group on the terminal sugar (Villeneuve et al., 2000, Journal of Biological Chemistry). OSP is a major target for the host immune response, and the presence of OSP-specific vibriocidal antibodies in the blood is the most recognized correlate of protection against cholera (Wrammert et al., 2011, Journal of Immunology). Most licensed oral cholera vaccines, such as Dukoral and Shanchol, work by inducing these protective antibodies against the OSP/LPS complex (Clemens et al., 2017, Lancet). Additionally, OSP is a focus for the development of synthetic conjugate vaccines designed to provide longer-lasting immunity than current whole-cell formulations (Grand et al., 2023, Frontiers in Immunology).

Other names

O-antigenO1 antigenVibrio cholerae O1 LPSO-specific polysaccharide

Induction of protective vibriocidal antibodies and secretory IgA that inhibit bacterial colonization and promote complement-mediated killing (Clemens et al., 2017, Lancet).