The structure of the homopolymeric O-specific chain from the phenol soluble LPS of the Rhizobium loti type strain NZP2213

The O-specific polysaccharide of the phenol soluble lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (LPS-P) of the Rhizobium loti NZP2213 strain consists of a homopolymeric chain of α-1, 3-linked units of 2-O-acetyl-6-deoxy- -talopyranose, very probably terminated by a single unit of 2-O-acetyl-6-deoxy- -talopyranose. The hydrophobic character of the long O-chains explains the phenol solubility of LPS-P, in contrast to the water solubility of LPS-W, which is of R-character and accordingly lacks the O-acetyl-6d-talose units.