Variation of O-antigens

A second example of O antigen variation caused by nucleotide substitutions involves E. coli 0107 and 0117. They differ in substitution of only a few amino acid residues, but the glycosyltranferases have different specificities resulting in the presence of different sugars as the third residue in the 0107 and Ol 17 structures (Wang et al., 2009). 

Compared to bacterial cells, which are identical within a given cell type (except for O antigen variations), animal cells display a wondrous diversity of structure, constitution, and function. Although each animal cell contains, in its genetic material, the instructions to replicate the entire organism, each differentiated... 

Synthesis of Type 2 Human Blood Group Antigenic Determinants. The H, X and Y Haptens and Variations of the H Type 2 Determinants as Probes for the Combining Site of the Lectin 1 of Ulex europaeus, O. Hindsgaul, T. Norberg, J. LePendu, and R. U. Lemieux, Carbohydr. Res., 109 (1982) 109-142. 

Price WH, O Leary W (1967) Geographical variation in the antigenic character of West Nile virus. Am J Epidemiol 85 84-87. 

---