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World J Gastroenterol. Aug 7, 2014; 20(29): 9882-9897
Published online Aug 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i29.9882
Published online Aug 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i29.9882
Structural modifications of Helicobacter pylori lipopolysaccharide: An idea for how to live in peace
Magdalena Chmiela, Eliza Miszczyk, Karolina Rudnicka, Department of Immunology and Infectious Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
Author contributions: Chmiela M designed and wrote the manuscript; Rudnicka K wrote the manuscript and prepared the figures; Miszczyk E collected and prepared literature.
Supported by Certain results presented in this review derived from studies that were supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education grants, N401 021 31/0379, N N401 015 136, N N303 451 738 and UMO-2013/09/N/NZ6/ 00805
Correspondence to: Magdalena Chmiela, Professor, Department of Immunology and Infectious Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland. chmiela@biol.uni.lodz.pl
Telephone: +48-42-6354186 Fax: +48-42-6655818
Received: September 26, 2013
Revised: February 21, 2014
Accepted: April 21, 2014
Published online: August 7, 2014
Revised: February 21, 2014
Accepted: April 21, 2014
Published online: August 7, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip:Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a Gram-negative bacterium, colonizes the gastric mucosa of at least half of the human population and possesses a unique lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structure. According to recent studies, this structure contributes to the immunomodulatory properties of LPS. The structural rearrangements of H. pylori LPS, especially in relation to the lipid A and O side chains, result in a unique pattern of interactions between the bacterium and the host. In this review, we report and discuss the actual findings underlying the LPS-driven “persistence mechanisms” of H. pylori, explaining how structural modifications may allow these bacteria to “live in peace” within a human host.