The structure of the polysaccharide part of the LPS from Serratia marcescens serotype O19, including linkage region to the core and the residue at the non-reducing end

The structure of the LPS from Serratia marcescens serotype O19 was investigated. Deamination of the LPS released the O-chain polysaccharide together with a fragment of the core oligosaccharide. The following structure of the product was determined by NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and chemical methods: carbohydrate structure: see text] The main polymer consists of a repeating disaccharide V-U and is present on average of 18 units per chain as estimated by integration of signals in the NMR spectra. The residue O corresponds to the primer, which initiates biosynthesis of the O-chain, and an oligomer of a disaccharide R-S is an insert between the primer and the main polymer. The polysaccharide has a beta-Kdo residue at the non-reducing end, a feature similar to that observed previously in the LPS from Klebsiella O12.