Non-typical lipopolysaccharide core regions of some Hafnia alvei strains: structural and serological studies.

The lipopolysaccharides of Hafnia alvei strains 23, 1222 and 39 were found to have non-typical core region. On the basis of sugar and methylation analyses, 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry, it was concluded that the core oligosaccharide of strains 23 and 1222 has the same structure as Escherichia coli R4 core region, and the core oligosaccharide of strain 39 has the structure of Salmonella Ra core. Using the serological methods (passive hemagglutination, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting) and the anti-conjugate sera directed against E. coli R4 and Salmonella Ra core oligosaccharides we have confirmed the structural results presented above.