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. 1974 Nov;120(2):672–678. doi: 10.1128/jb.120.2.672-678.1974

Lipopolysaccharide Containing l-Acofriose in the Filamentous Blue-Green Alga Anabaena variabilis

J Weckesser 1, A Katz 1, G Drews 1, H Mayer 1, I Fromme 1
PMCID: PMC245826  PMID: 4218229

Abstract

For the first time, an O-antigenic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been isolated from a filamentous blue-green alga (Anabaena variabilis). It was extractable with phenol-water, resulting in extraction of the bulk of the LPS into the phenol phase. The polysaccharide moiety of this LPS consists of l-rhamnose, its 3-O-methyl ether l-acofriose, d-mannose, d-glucose, and d-galactose. l-Glycero-d-mannoheptose and 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate, the two characteristic sugar components of enteric LPS, and phosphate groups are absent from the A. variabilis O antigen. The only amino sugar present is d-glucosamine. Three hydroxy fatty acids were identified, namely, β-hydroxymyristic, β-hydroxypalmitic and β-hydroxystearic acids, in addition to palmitic and unidentified fatty acid. The LPS of A. variabilis is localized in the outermost cell wall layer and behaves like a bacterial O antigen in serological tests. The passive hemagglutination yielded high titers with isolated LPS (pretreated by heat or by alkali) and rabbit antisera prepared against living or heat-killed cells. The position of the precipitation arcs after immunoelectrophoresis of the O antigen indicates the lack of charged groups. The water phase of the phenol-water extract contains, in high yield, a glucose polymer. It is serologically inactive as shown by the passive hemagglutination test and by agar-gel precipitation.

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Selected References

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