Structural studies on the fucosamine-containing O-specific polysaccharide of Proteus vulgaris O19.

The polysaccharide chain of Proteus vulgaris O19 lipopolysaccharide contains D-galactose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine N-acetyl-D-galactosamine and N-acetyl-L-fucosamine in the ratio 1:1:1:1. The structure of the polysaccharide was established by full acid hydrolysis and methylation analysis, as well as by non-destructive methods, i.e. the computer-assisted evaluation of the 13C-NMR spectrum and computer-assisted evaluation of the specific optical rotation by Klyne's rule. The polysaccharide is regular and built up of tetrasaccharide repeating units of the following structure: ----3)-alpha-L-FucNAcp-(1----3)-beta-D-GlcNAcp-(1----3)-alph a-D-Galp- (1----4)-alpha-D-GalNAcp-(1---- The O19-antiserum cross-reacts with lipopolysaccharide from P. vulgaris O42, the structure of which is still unknown. No cross-reactions were observed with O-polysaccharides Pseudomonas aeruginosa O7 and Salmonella arizonae O59 in spite of some structural similarities.