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. 1996 Aug;178(15):4747–4750. doi: 10.1128/jb.178.15.4747-4750.1996

Analysis of the enzymatic cleavage (beta elimination) of the capsular K5 polysaccharide of Escherichia coli by the K5-specific coliphage: reexamination.

P Hänfling 1, A S Shashkov 1, B Jann 1, K Jann 1
PMCID: PMC178252  PMID: 8755913

Abstract

The capsular K5 polysaccharide of Escherichia coli is the receptor of the capsule-specific coliphage K5, which harbors an enzyme that degrades the capsular K5 polysaccharide to a number of oligosaccharides. Analysis of the degradation products using gel permeation chromatography, the periodate-thiobarbituric acid and bicinchoninic acid reactions, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that the major reaction products are hexa-, octa-, and decasaccharides with 4,5-unsaturated glucuronic acid (delta4,5GlcA) at their nonreducing end. Thus, the bacteriophage enzyme is a K5 polysaccharide lyase and not, as we had reported previously, an endo-N-acetylglucosaminidase.

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Selected References

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