Structure of the capsular polysaccharide and the O-side-chain of the lipopolysaccharide from Acetobacter methanolicus MB 58/4 (IMET 10945), and of oligosaccharides resulting from their degradation by the bacteriophage Acml.

The capsular polysaccharide (CPS) and the O-side-chain of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Acetobacter methanolicus MB 58/4 (IMET 10945) have been shown to contain the same disaccharide repeating unit, namely, ----2)-beta-D-Galf-(1----3)-beta-D-Galp-(1----. Degradation of the CPS and the LPS with the bacteriophage Acml gave fragments built up of 1-5 repeating units; the octasaccharide preponderated. The phage-associated depolymerase proved to be a beta-D-galactofuranoside hydrolase.