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. 1974 Jun;118(3):848–854. doi: 10.1128/jb.118.3.848-854.1974

Chemical and Physical Properties of Lipopolysaccharide of Yersinia pestis

James L Hartley a, Gordon A Adams a,1, Thomas G Tornabene a
PMCID: PMC246832  PMID: 4829929

Abstract

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) prepared from Yersinia pestis 195/P contained d-glucose, d-glycero-d-mannoheptose, l-glycero-d-mannoheptose, glucosamine, 3-deoxyoctulosonic acid, lipid A, β-hydroxymyristate, acetyl, phosphate, and protein. Traces of ethanolamine, mannose, and galactose were also detected. The lipid A moiety was composed of glucosamine substituted with phosphate, amide-linked β-hydroxymyristate, and amide-bound acetate. The absence of significant amounts of additional fatty acids indicates a lipid A structure somewhat less complex than that of other gram-negative bacteria. The sugars identified are those generally found in the “core” region of LPS from the Enterobacteriaceae, with the exception of the d-glycero-d-mannoheptose. The molecular weight of the aggregated LPS was estimated to be 1.6 × 108.

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Selected References

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