Cell-wall lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli B.

The lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli BB and a number of R-phage selected (e.g. T3, T4) cell-wall-defective mutants were analyzed. From their lipopolysaccharides the respective core oligosaccharides were obtained. Following dephosphorylation, the oligosaccharides were methylated and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. This revealed the sugar sequence in the hexose-heptose region of the core. The linkage of heptose (Hep) to 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate (KDO) was established as ... Hep 1,5 leads to KDO ... by methylation analysis. The substituted derivative of KDO was identified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The KDO region contains three KDO units. Its structure was elaborated by (a) selective removal and identification of 7-phosphoryl ethanolamine-KDO (KDO-PN), (b) periodate oxidation and thiobarbituric acid reaction in conjunction with mild hydrolysis, (c) a modified methylation analysis. Phosphate substitution of E. coli BB core was studied by beta-elimination and using the information obtained with KDO-PN. The structures of the cell wall lipopolysaccharides from E. coli BB and cell-wall-defective mutants are given.