| Abstract: | Two lipopolysaccharide preparations were obtained from Escherichia coli 058 by extraction with 45% aqueous phenol and fractional precipitation with cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (Cetavlon). Chemical analysis and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate showed that the two preparations differed only in the extent of the O-specific polysaccharide moiety. The O-specific polysaccharide was characterized with proton magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy, optical rotation and paper electrophoresis. Using gas-liquid chromatography and ion-exchange chromatography, it was shown to contain D-mannose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, 3-O-(R-1'-carboxyethyl)-L-rhamnose (rhamnolactylic acid), and O-acetyl groups in the molar ratios of 2:1:1:1. The polysaccharide and oligosaccharides obtained from it were subjected to methylation and chromic acid oxidation. The results obtained indicated that the polysaccharide consists of tetrasaccharide repeating units in which the trisaccharide beta-GlcNAc1 - 4alphaMan-1 - 4(2/3-O-Ac)-Man is substituted at C-3 of the non-acetylated mannose with rhamnolactylic acid. The repeating units are joined through alpha-mannosyl-1 - 3-glucosamine bonds. This structure is identical with that of the cell wall polysaccharide of Shigella dysenteriae type 5. |
