Enzymic basis for the modulation of cell-surface carbohydrates in lectin-resistant melanoma cells.

Carbohydrate structure as receptor for uropathogenic Escherichia coli The proposal of a specific Gal(al-4)Gal receptor for E. coli causing urinary tract infection of man (Kallenius et al., 1980; Leffler & Svanborg Eden, 1980) has been further studied using a series of glycolipids of human and animal origin for the assignment of specificity. Apparently, the bacteria bind to a terminal as well as an internal disaccharide as summarized in Table 2. As the receptor disaccharide is a specific part of the blood group P system, it was of interest that of 36 children with recurrent urinary tract infection and without apparent anatomical defects, all but one were of blood group PI compared to 75% P I among healthy controls (Lomberg et al., 1981; H. Lomberg, L. A. Hanson, B. Jacobsson, U. Jodal, H. Leffler & C. Svanborg Eden, unpublished work). Soluble receptor analogue was recently shown to inhibit experimental ascending urinary tract infection of the mouse (Svanborg Eden et al., 1982). There was no effect of a-mannoside.