Studies on lipid A from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis lipopolysaccharide. Isolation and general characterization.

Lipid A was isolated from lipopolysaccharide of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis S form (strain 341, subtype IB) using mild hydrolysis with acetic acid. The purified material (yield about 25%, molecular weight about 2900) contained D-glucosamine (11%), fatty acids (54%), protein concomitant (9.7%) and phosphorus (approximately 2%). Dodecanoic and 3-hydroxy-tetradecanoic acids in a molar ratio of 1 : 3.6 were detected as major fatty acid constituents. The hydroxyl groups of D-glucosamine were acylated with the residues of both fatty acids, while the amino groups were substituted with the residue of 3-hydroxy-tetradecanoic acid. Such a simple fatty acid composition is reminiscent of that found in lipid A in Y. pestis.