The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) isolated from certain important Gram-negative pathogens including a human pathogen Yersinia pestis and opportunistic pathogens Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei contains D-glycero-o-talo-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Ko), an isosteric analog of 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo). Kdo 3-hydroxylase (KdoO), a Fe2+/alpha-KG/O-2 dependent dioxygenase from Burkholderia ambifaria and Yersinia pesris is responsible for Ko formation with Kdo(2)-lipid A as a substrate, but in which stage KdoO functions during the LPS biosynthesis has not been established. Here we purify KdoO from B. ambifaria (BaKdoO) to homogeneity for the first time and characterize its substrates. BaKdoO utilizes Kdo(2)-lipid IVA or Kdo(2)-lipid A as a substrate, but not Kdo-lipid IVA in vivo as well as in vitro and Kdo-(Hep)kdo-lipid A in vitro. These data suggest that KdoO is an inner core assembly enzyme that functions after the Kdo-transferase KdtA but before the heptosyl-transferase WaaC enzyme during the Ko-containing LPS biosynthesis. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.