Bordetella pertussis waaA Encodes a Monofunctional 2-Keto-3-Deoxy-d-manno-Octulosonic Acid Transferase That Can Complement an Escherichia coli waaA Mutation

Bordetella pertussis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) contains a single 2-keto-3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid (Kdo) residue, whereas LPS from Escherichia coli contains at least two. Here we report that B. pertussis waaA encodes an enzyme capable of transferring only a single Kdo during the biosynthesis of LPS and that this activity is sufficient to complement an E. coli waaA mutation.