Structural studies of the side chain of outer membrane lipopolysaccharide from Pseudomonas syringae pv. coriandricola W-43.

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was isolated from Pseudomonas syringae pv. coriandricola W-43 by hot phenol-water extraction. Rhamnose and 3-N-acetyl-3-deoxyfucose were found to be the major sugar constituents of the LPS together with N-acetylglucosamine, N-acetylgalactosamine, heptose, and 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid (Kdo). The main fatty acids of lipid A of the LPS were 3-OH-C:10, C12:0, 2-OH-C12:0, and 3-OH-C12:0. The O-specific polysaccharide liberated from the LPS by mild-acid hydrolysis was purified by gel permeation chromatography. The compositional analysis of the O-specific polysaccharide revealed the presence of L-rhamnose and 3-N-acetyl-3-deoxy-D-fucose in a molar ratio of 4:1. The primary structure of the O-specific polysaccharide was established by methylation analysis together with 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, including two-dimensional shift-correlated and one-dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy. The polysaccharide moiety was found to consist of a tetrasaccharide rhamnan backbone, and 3-N-acetyl-3-deoxy-D-fucose constitutes the side chain of the branched pentasaccharide repeating unit of the polysaccharide.     

Chemical and biological properties of lipopolysaccharide, lipid A and degraded polysaccharide from Wolinella recta ATCC 33238

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was isolated and purified from Wolinella recta ATCC 33238 by the phenol-water procedure and RNAase treatment. The sugar components of the LPS were rhamnose, mannose, glucose, heptose, 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate (KDO) (3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate) and glucosamine. The degraded polysaccharide prepared from LPS by mild acid hydrolysis was fractionated by Sephadex G-50 gel chromatography into three fractions: (1) a high-molecular-mass fraction, eluting just behind the void volume, consisting of a long chain of rhamnose (22 mols per 3 mols of heptose residue) with attached core oligosaccharide; (2) a core oligosaccharide containing heptose, glucose and KDO, substituted with a short side chain of rhamnose; (3) a low-molecular-mass fraction containing KDO and phosphate. The main fatty acids of the lipid A were C12:0, C14:0, 3-OH-C14:0 and 3-OH-C16:0. The biological activities of the LPS were similar to those of Salmonella typhimurium LPS in activation of the clotting enzyme of Limulus amoebocytes, the Schwartzman reaction and mitogenicity for murine lymphocytes, although all the biological activities of lipid A were lower than those of intact LPS.     

Chemical and biological characterization of lipopolysaccharides from the Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola IMV 381 collection culture and its dissociants

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were isolated from the crude bacterial mass of the Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola IMV 381 collection culture and its virulent and avirulent subcultures isolated earlier from the heterogeneous collection culture due to its natural variability during long-term storage. The composition, immunochemical properties, and certain parameters of the biological activity of the LPS preparations obtained were studied. The structural parts of the LPS macromolecule--lipid A, the core oligosaccharide, and O-specific polysaccharide (OPS)--were isolated and characterized. The following fatty acids were identified in the lipid A composition of all cultures: 3-OH-C10:0, C12:0, 2-OH-C12:0, 3-OH-C12:0, C16:1, C16:0, C18:1, and C18:0. Glucosamine (GlcN), ethanolamine (EtN), phosphoethanolamine (EtN-P), and phosphorus (P) were revealed in the hydrophilic portion of the macromolecule. In the core portion of the LPS macromolecule, glucose (Glc), rhamnose (Rha), GlcN, galactosamine (GalN), 2-keto-3-deoxyoctulosonic acid (KDO), alanine (Ala), and P were found. The peculiarities of the structure of LPS isolated from the stable collection culture (LPS(stab)) and its virulent (LPS(vir)) and avirulent (LPS(air)) subcultures were studied. LPS(vir) and LPS(avir) were identical in the monosaccharide composition and contained as the main components L-rhamnose (L-Rha) and 3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-D-galactose (D-Fuc3NAc), like LPS(stab) studied earlier. The NMR spectra of LPS(vir) were identical to the spectra of LPS(stab), whose O-chain repeating unit structure was studied by us earlier, whereas LPS(avir) differed from LPS(vir) in the NMR spectrum and was identified by us as the SR form. LPS(avir) was serologically identical to LP(stab) and LPS(vir). Hence, the degree of polymerism of the LPS O-chain of P. syringae pv. maculicola IMV 381 is the main virulence factor in the infected model plants. Serological relationships were studied between P. syringae pv. maculicola IMV 381 and the strains of other pathovars with structurally similar LPS.     

Cellular Lipid and Fatty Acid Compositions of Burkholderia pseudomallei Strains Isolated from Human and Environment in Viet Nam

Viet nam is known as an endemic area of melioidosis but its etiologic agent originated in Viet nam was not extensively studied. For the first time, we analyzed the cellular lipid and fatty acid compositions of 15 Vietnamese isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei, 10 from humans and 5 from the environment. Cellular lipid compositions were analyzed by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography on silica gel G plates. Cellular fatty acid methyl esters were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The major lipids in all the isolates were phosphatidylglycerol (PG), two forms of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE-1 and PE-2), and two forms of ornithine-containing lipid (OL-1 and OL-2). PE-1 contained non-hydroxy fatty acids at both sn-1 and ?2 positions, while PE-2 possessed 2-hydroxy fatty acids and non-hydroxy fatty acids in a ratio of 1: 1. Since snake venom phospholipase A₂ digestion of PE-2 liberated 2-hydroxy fatty acids, it was confirmed that these acids are at the sn-2 position of glycerol moiety. In both OL-1 and OL-2, amide-linked fatty acid was 3-hydroxy palmitic acid (3-OH-C16: 0), while ester-linked fatty acids were non-hydroxy acids in OL-1 and 2-hydroxy acids in OL-2. The total cellular fatty acid compositions of the test strains were characterized by the presence of 2-hydroxy palmitic (2-OH-C16: 0), 2-hydroxy hexadecenoic (2-OH-C16: 1), 2-hydroxy octadecenoic (2-OH-C18: 1), 2-hydroxy methylene octadecanoic (2-OH-C19CPA), 3-hydroxy myristic (3-OH-C14: 0) and 3-hydroxy palmitic (3-OH-C16: 0) acids. There were significant differences in the concentration of hexadecenoic (C16: 1), methylene hexadecanoic (C17CPA), octadecenoic (C18: 1) and methylene octadecanoic (C19CPA) acids among the Vietnamese isolates of B. pseudomallei. However, no significant difference was observed in cellular lipid and fatty acid components between strains of human and environmental origins.     

Brucella abortus 16S rRNA and lipid A reveal a phylogenetic relationship with members of the alpha-2 subdivision of the class Proteobacteria

On the basis of ribosomal 16S sequence comparison, Brucella abortus has been found to be a member of the alpha-2 subdivision of the class Proteobacteria (formerly named purple photosynthetic bacteria and their nonphototrophic relatives). Within the alpha-2 subgroup, brucellae are specifically related to rickettsiae, agrobacteria, and rhizobiae, organisms that also have the faculty or the obligation of living in close association to eucaryotic cells. The composition of Brucella lipid A suggests a close phylogenetical relationship with members of the alpha-2 group. The chemical analysis of the lipid A fraction revealed that Brucella species contain both glucosamine and diaminoglucose, thus suggesting the presence of a so-called mixed lipid A type. The serological analysis with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies is in agreement with the existence of mixed lipid A type in B. abortus. The amide-linked fatty acid present as acyl-oxyacyl residues were 3-O-C(16:0)12:0, 3-O-C(16:0)13:0, 3-O-C(16:0)14:0, and 3-O-C(18:0)14:0. The only amide-linked unsubstituted fatty acid detected was 3-OH-C16:0. The ester-linked fatty acids are 3-OH-C16:0, 3-OH-C18:0, C16:0, C17:0, and C18:0. Significant amounts of the large-chain 27-OH-C28:0 were detected together with traces of 25-OH-C26:0 and 29-OH-C30:0. Comparison of the Brucella lipid composition with that of the other Proteobacteria also suggests a close phylogenetical relationship with members of the alpha-2 subdivision. The genealogical grouping of Brucella species with pericellular and intracellular plant and animal pathogens as well as with intracellular plant symbionts suggests a possible evolution of Brucella species from plant-arthropod-associated bacteria.     

Isolation and characterization of the lipopolysaccharides from Bradyrhizobium japonicum.

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Bradyrhizobium japonicum 61A123 was isolated and partially characterized. Phenol-water extraction of strain 61A123 yielded LPS exclusively in the phenol phase. The water phase contained low-molecular-weight glucans and extracellular or capsular polysaccharides. The LPSs from B. japonicum 61A76, 61A135, and 61A101C were also extracted exclusively into the phenol phase. The LPSs from strain USDA 110 and its Nod- mutant HS123 were found in both the phenol and water phases. The LPS from strain 61A123 was further characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, composition analysis, and 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Analysis of the LPS by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that it was present in both high- and low-molecular-weight forms (LPS I and LPS II, respectively). Composition analysis was also performed on the isolated lipid A and polysaccharide portions of the LPS, which were purified by mild acid hydrolysis and gel filtration chromatography. The major components of the polysaccharide portion were fucose, fucosamine, glucose, and mannose. The intact LPS had small amounts of 2-keto-3-deoxyoctulosonic acid. Other minor components were quinovosamine, glucosamine, 4-O-methylmannose, heptose, and 2,3-diamino-2,3-dideoxyhexose. The lipid A portion of the LPS contained 2,3-diamino-2,3-dideoxyhexose as the only sugar component. The major fatty acids were beta-hydroxymyristic, lauric, and oleic acids. A long-chain fatty acid, 27-hydroxyoctacosanoic acid, was also present in this lipid A. Separation and analysis of LPS I and LPS II indicated that glucose, mannose, 4-O-methylmannose, and small amounts of 2,2-diamino-2,3-dideozyhexose and heptose were components of the core region of the LPS, whereas fucose, fucosmine, mannose, and small amounts of quinovosamine and glucosamine were components of the LPS O-chain region.     

Characterization of lipid A and polysaccharide moieties of the lipopolysaccharides from Vibrio cholerae.

Lipid A and polysaccharide moieties obtained by mild acid hydrolysis of the lipopolysaccharides from Vibrio cholerae 569 B (Inaba) and Vibrio el-tor (Inaba) were characterized. Heterogeneity of lipid A fractions was indicated by t.l.c. and by gel filtration of the de-O-acylated products from mild alkaline methanolysis of the lipids. Presumably lipid A contains a glucosamine backbone, and the fatty acids are probably bound to the hydroxyl and amino groups of glucosamine residues. Approximately equal amounts of fatty acids C16:0, C18:1 and 3-hydroxylauric acid were involved in ester linkages, but 3-hydroxymyristic acid was the only amide-linked fatty acid. Sephadex chromatography of the polysaccharide moiety showed the presence of a high-molecular-weight heptose-free fraction and a low-molecular-weight heptose-containing fraction. Haemagglutination-inhibition assays of these fractions showed the heptose-free fraction to be an O-specific side-chain polysaccharide, whereas the heptose-containing fraction was the core polysaccharide region of the lipopolysaccharides. Identical results were obtained for both organisms.     

Characterization of the Lipopolysaccharide and Structure of the O-Specific Polysaccharide of the Bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. atrofaciens IMV 948

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was isolated from the phytopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. atrofaciens IMV 948 by mild extraction of the microbial cells with saline, and the properties, composition, and structure of the LPS were studied. The LPS showed low toxicity in D- galactosamine-sensitized mice and low biological activity in plants. Structural components of LPS--lipid A, core oligosaccharide, and O-specific polysaccharide (OPS)--were obtained by mild acid degradation and characterized. The lipid A contained fatty acids 3-HO-C10:0, C12:0, 2-HO-C12:0, 3-HO-C12:0, C16:0, C16:1, C18:0, and C18:1, as well as components of the hydrophilic moiety: GlcN, ethanolamine, phosphate, and phosphoethanolamine. The LPS core contained components typical of pseudomonads: glucose, rhamnose (Rha), L-glycero-D-manno-heptose, GlcN, GalN, 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-manno-octonic acid, alanine, and phosphate. The OPS consisted of L-Rha and D-GlcNAc in the ratio 4 : 1 and was structurally heterogeneous. The main pentasaccharide repeating unit of the OPS has the following structure: [structure see text]. Immunochemical studies showed that P. syringae pv. atrofaciens IMV 948 is serologically separate from other P. syringae strains, including those that have structurally similar OPS.     

Isolation and characterisation of the lipopolysaccharide from Acidiphilium strain GS18h/ATCC55963, a soil isolate of Indian copper mine

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of the Gram-negative Acidiphilium strain GS18h/ATCC55963, a new soil isolate, exhibited very low endotoxic activity as determined by Limulus gelation activity, lethal toxicity in galactosamine (GalN) sensitised mice, and level of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) in the blood serum of BALB/c mice. Analysis of the LPS, specially of lipid A which usually accounts for the toxicity, revealed the latter to contain glucosamine and phosphate besides fatty acids, of which 14:0(3-OH), 18:0(3-OH), 18:1 and 19:0(cyclo) are the major components, while 12:0, 16:0, 19:1, 20:0(3-OH) and 20:1(3-OH) are present in small amounts. The 14:0(3-OH) and 18:0(3-OH) fatty acids are amide-linked, whereas the rest are ester bound. Glucose, galactose, mannose, rhamnose, heptose, galacturonic acid and 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) were present in the polysaccharide part of this LPS. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of the LPS showed a macromolecular heterogeneity distinctly different from those of Escherichia coli or Salmonella. The toxicity of this LPS being extremely low attributed to fatty acid composition of its lipid A, promises potential therapeutic application.     

The structure of the carbohydrate backbone of the LPS from Myxococcus xanthus strain DK1622

Gram-negative rod shaped bacterium Myxococcus xanthus DK1622 produces a smooth-type LPS. The structure of the polysaccharide O-chain and the core-lipid A region of the LPS has been determined by chemical and spectroscopic methods. The O-chain was built up of disaccharide repeating units having the following structure: -->6)-alpha-D-Glcp-(1-->4)-alpha-D-GalpNAc6oMe*-(1--> with partially methylated GalNAc residue. The core region consisted of a phosphorylated hexasaccharide, containing one Kdo residue, unsubstituted at O-4, and no heptose residues. The lipid A component consisted of beta-GlcN-(1-->6)-alpha-GlcN1P disaccharide, N-acylated with 13-methyl-C14-3OH (iso-C15-3OH), C16-3OH, and 15-methyl-C16-3OH (iso-C17-3OH) acids. The lipid portion contained O-linked iso-C16 acid.     

Chemical analysis of and degradation studies on the cell wall lipopolysaccharide of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata

A lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been isolated from the gram-negative photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas capsulata. Chemical analysis revealed the presence of d-glucose, d-galactose, l-rhamnose, 3-O-methyl-l-rhamnose (l-acofriose), d-glucosamine, 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate, and neuraminic acid. The LPS does not contain l-glycero-d-mannoheptose, a typical component of the LPS of enteric bacteria. Fatty acid analysis showed that, apart from lauric acid, two hydroxy fatty acids (hydroxycaproic and hydroxymyristic acids) are the main components. By hydrolysis in weak acid, the LPS has been separated into a polysaccharide part (degraded polysaccharide) and a lipid part (lipid A). Presumably the lipid A contains a glucosamine backbone. Whereas the OH-groups of glucosamine are esterified with lauric and hydroxycaproic acids, hydroxymyristic acid is linked to the amino group of the sugar. By separation of the degraded polysaccharide by gel filtration, a fraction has been isolated which inhibited hemagglutination in a system containing antiserum, obtained by immunization of rabbits with whole cells, and isolated LPS. This fraction, which includes the determinant group, contains the sugars glucose, rhamnose, and acofriose. A second fraction obtained in this way was found to be serologically inactive and is composed of glucose, galactose, neuraminic acid, and phosphate.     

Lipid A precursor from Pseudomonas aeruginosa is completely acylated prior to addition of 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate

Inhibition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) synthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa at the stage of incorporation of 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate (KDO) caused accumulation of a lipid A precursor which contained all of the fatty acids present on the lipid A of mature LPS. The enzyme CTP:CMP-3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate cytidylyltransferase (CMP-KDO synthetase) from P. aeruginosa is inhibited by the KDO analog alpha-C-[1,5-anhydro-8-amino-2,7,8-trideoxy-D-manno-octopyranosyl] carboxylate (I), and I is effectively delivered to P. aeruginosa following attachment by amide linkage to the carboxyl terminus of alanylalanine. Intracellular hydrolysis releases the free inhibitor (I) which then inhibits activation of KDO by CMP-KDO synthetase causing accumulation of lipid A precursor and subsequent growth stasis. The major lipid A precursor species accumulated was purified and found to contain glucosamine, phosphate, C12:O, 2OH-C12:O and 3OH-C10:0 (in ester linkage), and 3OH-C12:0 (in amide linkage) in molar ratios of 1:1:0.5:0.5:1:1. Analysis of precursor by fast atom bombardment mass spectroscopy yielded a major ion (M - H)- of mass 1616 and fragments which were consistent with the structure of lipid A from P. aeruginosa. In contrast, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Citrobacter sp., Serratia marcescens, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Enterobacter cloacae all accumulated underacylated lipid A precursors which only contained 3-OH-C14:0, glucosamine, and phosphate. This difference and species-specific patterns of major and minor precursor species show that early steps in the assembly of lipid A are similar, but not identical in enteric and nonenteric Gram-negative bacteria.     

Structural determination of lipid A of the lipopolysaccharide from Pseudomonas reactans. A pathogen of cultivated mushrooms.

The chemical structure of lipid A from the lipopolysaccharide of the mushroom-associated bacterium Pseudomonas reactans, a pathogen of cultivated mushroom, was elucidated by compositional analysis and spectroscopic methods (MALDI-TOF and two-dimensional NMR). The sugar backbone was composed of the beta-(1'-->6)-linked d-glucosamine disaccharide 1-phosphate. The lipid A fraction showed remarkable heterogeneity with respect to the fatty acid and phosphate composition. The major species are hexacylated and pentacylated lipid A, bearing the (R)-3-hydroxydodecanoic acid [C12:0 (3OH)] in amide linkage and a (R)-3-hydroxydecanoic [C10:0 (3OH)] in ester linkage while the secondary fatty acids are present as C12:0 and/or C12:0 (2-OH). A nonstoichiometric phosphate substitution at position C-4' of the distal 2-deoxy-2-amino-glucose was detected. Interestingly, the pentacyl lipid A is lacking a primary fatty acid, namely the C10:0 (3-OH) at position C-3'. The potential biological meaning of this peculiar lipid A is also discussed.     

Lipopolysaccharides of Thiocystis violacea, Thiocapsa pfennigii, and Chromatium tepidum, species of the family Chromatiaceae.

The lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of three species of purple sulfur bacteria (Chromatiaceae), Thiocystis violacea, Thiocapsa pfennigii, and the moderately thermophilic bacterium Chromatium tepidum, were isolated. The LPS of Thiocystis violacea and Chromatium tepidum contained typical O-specific sugars, indicating O-chains. Long O-chains were confirmed for these species by sodium deoxycholate gel electrophoresis of their LPS. Thiocapsa pfennigii, however, had short or no O-chains. The core region of the LPS of all three species comprised D-glycero-D-mannoheptose as the only heptose and 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate. The lipid A, obtained from the LPS by mild acid hydrolysis, contained glucosamine as the main amino sugar. Amide-bound 3-hydroxymyristic acid was the only hydroxy fatty acid. The main ester-bound fatty acid in all lipid A fractions was 12:0. Mannose and small amounts of 2,3-diamino-2,3-dideoxy-D-glucose were common constituents of the lipid A of the three Chromatiaceae species investigated. All lipid A fractions were essentially free of phosphate.     

Chemical characteristics and endotoxic activity of the lipopolysaccharide of Rahnella aquatilis 2-95

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from a new Enterobacteriaceae species, Rahnella aquatilis 2-95, was isolated and investigated. The structural components of the LPS molecule, namely, lipid A, core oligosaccharide, and O-specific polysaccharide, were obtained by mild acid hydrolysis. In lipid A, 3-oxytetradecanoic and tetradecanoic acids were found to be the predominant fatty acids. The major monosaccharides of the core oligosaccharide were galactose, arabinose, fucose, rhamnose, and an unidentified component. The O-specific polysaccharide was found to be assembled of a repeated trisaccharide unit of the following structure: [structure: see text]. The R. aquatilis 2-95 LPS is less toxic and more pyrogenic as compared to the one from the R. aquatilis 1-95 strain studied earlier. Both acyl and phosphate groups are essential for toxic and pyrogenic activity of R. aquatilis 2-95 LPS.     

Lipopolysaccharide in the outer membrane of the filamentous prochlorophyte Prochlorothrix hollandica

Abstract A lipopolysaccharide (LPS) fraction was isolated from Prochlorothrix hollandica by hot phenol/water extraction. Negatively stained preparations of an aqueous LPS dispersion showed the triple-layered appearance of the LPS aggregates. Glucose (main sugar), rhamnose, fucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, and 3- O -methyl-xylose were found as the constituents of the polysaccharide moiety. Glucosamine and the 3-hydroxy fatty acids, 3-OH-16:0, 3-OH-14:0, and the rarely detected iso-3-OH-15:0, constitute the lipid A of the LPS. l -glycero- d -manno-heptose and 3-deoxy- d -manno-2-octulosonic acid (dOclA), typical components of inner core oligosaccharides from enterobacterial LPS, were lacking in the isolated LPS fraction from Prochlorothrix hollandica .     

Chemical characterization of lipopolysaccharide from Edwardsiella ictaluri, a fish pathogen

The chemical components of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the fish pathogen Edwardsiella ictaluri (Ed. ictaluri) were analyzed by SDS-PAGE, gas chromatography, and spectrophotometry, and compared with those of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli 0111:B4. Only four to five low molecular weight species of LPS from Ed. ictaluri were detected by silver staining after separation by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The low molecular weight species, as well as a low sugar content, indicate that the LPS from Ed. ictaluri was of the rough type, compared with that of S. typhimurium and E. coli which were both of the smooth type LPS. Quantitatively, mannose was not a major sugar component in Ed. ictaluri, unlike S. typhimurium. Palmitic, palmitoleic, and cis-9,10-methylene-hexadecanoic acids were predominant fatty acids among the total cellular lipids of Ed. ictaluri. C14 fatty acids comprised 78% of the total in the LPS of this bacterium, with beta-hydroxy-myristate representing 55%. The results of this study suggest that the lipid A segment of the LPS molecule of Ed. ictaluri is similar to S. typhimurium and E. coli, at least with respect to fatty acid content; however, the core polysaccharide of E. ictaluri differs in that it has twice the heptose content.     

Structure of the lipid A-inner core region and biological activity of Plesiomonas shigelloides O54 (strain CNCTC 113/92) lipopolysaccharide

Plesiomonas shigelloides is a Gram-negative rod associated with episodes of intestinal infections and outbreaks of diarrhea in humans. The extraintestinal infections caused by this bacterium, for example, endopthalmitis, meningitidis, bacteremia, and septicemia, usually have gastrointestinal origin and serious course. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin) as virulence factor is important in enteropathogenicity of this bacterium. LPSs of P. shigelloides and especially their lipid A part, that is, the immunomodulatory center of LPS, have not been extensively investigated. The structure of P. shigelloides O54 lipid A was determined by chemical analysis combined with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and the intact Kdo-containing core region was investigated by NMR spectroscopy on deacylated LPS. Products from alkaline deacylation of LPS, containing 4-substituted uronic acids, are usually very complex and difficult to separate. Since Kdo residues, like sialic acids, form complexes with serotonin, we used immobilized serotonin for one-step isolation of oligosaccharide containing the intact Kdo region from the reaction mixture by affinity chromatography. The major form of lipid A was built of beta-d-GlcpN4PPEtn-(1-->6)-alpha-d-GlcpN1P disaccharide substituted with 14:0(3-OH), 12:0(3-OH), 14:0(3-O-14:0), and 12:0(3-O-12:0) acyl groups at N-2, O-3, N-2', and O-3', respectively. This is a novel structure among known lipid A molecules. Analysis of intact Kdo-lipid A region, lipid A and its linkage with the core oligosaccharide completes the structural investigation of P. shigelloides O54 LPS, resolving the entire molecule. Biological activities and observed discrepancy between in vitro and in vivo activity of P. shigelloides and Escherichia coli LPS are discussed.     

Peculiarities of the structure of thePseudomonas fluorescens IMV 247 (Biovar II) lipopolysaccharide

The results of the study of thePseudomonas fluorescens IMV 247 (biovar II) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) isolated from the dry bacterial mass by Westphal’s method and purified by repeated ultracentrifugation are presented. The macromolecular organization of the LPS is characterized by the presence of S and R forms of LPS molecules in a 1 : 1 ratio. The structural components of the LPS molecule-lipid A, the core oligosaccharide, and the 0-specific polysaccharide-were isolated and characterized. 3-Hydroxydecanoic, 2-hydroxydodecanoic, 3-hydroxydodecanoic, and dodecanoic acids proved to be the main lipid A fatty acids. Glucosamine, phosphoethanolamine, and phosphorus were identified as the components of the lipid A hydrophilic portion. Glucose, galactose, arabinose, rhamnose, glucosamine, galactosamine alanine, phosphoethanolamine, phosphorus, and 2-keto-3-deoxyoctulonate (KDO) were revealed in the heterogeneous fraction of the core oligosaccharide. The 0-specific polysaccharide chain was composed of repeating tetrasaccharide units consisting of L-rhamnose (L-Rha), 3,6-dideoxy-3-[(S)-3-hydroxybutyramido]-D-glucose (D-Qui3NHb), 2-acetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy4 [(S)-3-hydroxybutyramido]-D-glucose (D-QuiNAc4NHb), and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galacturonic acid (D-GalNAcA) residues. A peculiarity of the 0-specific polysaccharide was that it released, upon partial acid hydrolysis, the nonreducing disaccharide GalNAcA→ QuiNAc4NHb with a 3-hydroxybutyryl group glycosylated intramolecularly with a QuiN4N residue. Double immunodiffusion in agar and lipopolysaccharide precipitation reactions revealed no serological interrelationship between the strain studied and theP. fluorescens strains studied earlier.     

Comparison of lipopolysaccharides composition of two different strains of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helicobacter pylori</Emphasis>

Background

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a Gram-negative, microaerophilic bacterium that is recognized as a major cause of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancer. Comparable to other Gram-negative bacteria, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are an important cellular component of the outer membrane of H. pylori. The LPS of this organism plays a key role in its colonization and persistence in the stomach. In addition, H. pylori LPS modulates pathogen-induced host inflammatory responses resulting in chronic inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract. Very little is known about the comparative LPS compositions of different strains of H. pylori with varied degree of virulence in human. Therefore, LPS was analyzed from two strains of H. pylori with differing potency in inducing inflammatory responses (SS1 and G27). LPS were extracted from aqueous and phenol layer of hot-phenol water extraction method and subjected for composition analysis by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to sugar and fatty acid compositions.

Results

The major difference between the two strains of H. pylori is the presence of Rhamnose, Fucose and GalNAc in the SS1 strain, which was either not found or with low abundance in the G27 strain. On the other hand, high amount of Mannose was present in G27 in comparison to SS1. Fatty acid composition of lipid-A portion also showed considerable amount of differences between the two strains, phenol layer of SS1 had enhanced amount of 3 hydroxy decanoic acid (3-OH-C10:0) and 3-hydroxy dodecanoic acid (3-OH-C12:0) which were not present in G27, whereas myristic acid (C14:0) was present in G27 in relatively high amount.

Conclusion

The composition analysis of H. pylori LPS, revealed differences in sugars and fatty acids composition between a mouse adapted strain SS1 and G27. This knowledge provides a novel way to dissect out their importance in host-pathogen interaction in further studies.