Lipopolysaccharide (Proteus)

Overview

Lipopolysaccharide is a component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacterial cell walls, composed of lipids and polysaccharides (glycolipids), with a molecular weight greater than 10,000 and a complex structure that varies among different groups and even between strains. When acting on cells of other organisms such as humans or animals, they exhibit a variety of biological activities. The physiological role of lipopolysaccharide is mediated through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) present on the cell membrane surface of the host cells. Proteus mirabilis is a facultative anaerobe Gram-negative bacillus. Bacteria of the genus Proteus in the family Enterobacteriaceae are conditionally pathogenic bacteria in humans, responsible for wound and burn infections as well as infections of the skin, eyes, ears, nose, throat, urinary tract, and gastrointestinal tract, and bacteremia. The outer membrane lipopolysaccharide of bacteria is considered an important virulence factor of Proteus mirabilis. It has been proposed that the immune response to Proteus mirabilis LPS may play a role in rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, the abundance of Proteus mirabilis in the intestine may be associated with obesity.