Structure of succinoglycan from an infectious strain of Agrobacterium radiobacter.

The exopolysaccharide produced by a cystic fibrosis clinical isolate of Agrobacterium radiobacter was shown by monosaccharide and methylation analyses, degradation with succinoglycanase and NMR analysis to be a succinoglycan with the structure shown below. (S)-pyruvic acid is found stoichiometrically as 4,6-O-ketal substituent of terminal glucose. Succinic acid is present in 40% of the repeating units and it is attached to O-6 of the 3-linked glucose next to the pyruvate carrying sugar. Some evidence is found that a small amount of succinic acid (ca. 6% of the total) is linked to O-6 of another undetermined glucose. [structure: see text]