Bordetellae colonization oligosaccharide (b-Cool), a glycan crucial for nasal colonization.

Abstract

Respiratory tract infections pose considerable global health challenges. Upper airway colonization is pivotal to these infections, including those caused by <i>Bordetella</i> species. We identified an oligosaccharide, bordetellae colonization oligosaccharide (b-Cool), crucial for early nasal colonization of <i>Bordetella bronchiseptica</i>. We characterized the structure of b-Cool by LC-MS and NMR and found that it is prevalent across a diverse range of bordetellae, including <i>Bordetella pertussis</i>, which causes whooping cough in humans. A <i>B. bronchiseptica</i> mutant lacking b-Cool (Δ<i>b-Cool</i>) showed significantly delayed and decreased colonization in mouse nasopharynx and nasal epithelia, resulting in decreased transmission. The colonization defect of Δ<i>b-Cool</i> was rescued in mucin deficient mice, suggesting that b-Cool may facilitate colonization in the presence of airway mucins.