Localization of membrane-derived oligosaccharides in the outer envelope of Escherichia coli and their occurrence in other Gram-negative bacteria.

The glucose-containing, membrane-derived oligosaccharides of Escherichia coli are localized in the external envelope of that organism, most probably in the periplasmic space. The membrane-derived oligosaccharides appear to be generally occurring cell constituents of gram-negative (but not gram-positive) bacteria.