Bacterial Glycosyltransferases Involved in Molecular Mimicry of Mammalian Glycans

Figure 8.1 Comparison of bacterial lipid A and a ceramide. The lipid anchor for the bacterial molecular mimic is known as lipid A, shown here as a generic lipid A with only four acyl chains, but typically there are other acyl chains on the hydroxyl groups of these lipids. The carbohydrates in the mimic structures extend from the R1 group, and usually this is a KDO residue. The mammalian lipid carriers are the ceramides, and are characterized by the length of the acyl chains and the number and position of the double bonds. The carbohydrates are added directly to the lipid at the R2 position.