Characterization of the lipopolysaccharide of Moraxella catarrhalis. Structural analysis of the lipid A from M. catarrhalis serotype A lipopolysaccharide.

The lipopolysaccharide of Moraxella catarrhalis serotype A (ATCC 25238) was found to consist of a short-chain oligosaccharide attached to a lipid A moiety. Composition and NMR analyses showed the oligosaccharide component in O-deacylated LPS to be composed of D-glucose, D-galactose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose and 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid in the molar ratio of 5:2:1:2. In addition, the lipid A region contained phosphate, D-glucosamine, 3-hydroxydodecanoic acid, dodecanoic acid and decanoic acid. The lipid A was examined in detail by high-field NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. It was found to consist of a beta-1,6-D-glucosamine disaccharide backbone esterified at C4' by a phosphomonoester and glycosidically at C1 by diphosphoethanolamine or phosphomonoester. The amide group of the reducing and nonreducing glucosamine residues were acylated by 3-dodecanoyloxydodecanoic acid and 3-decanoyl-oxydodecanoic acid, respectively. The hydroxyl group at C3 and C3' were acylated by 3-decanoyl-oxydodecanoic acid and 3-hydroxydodecanoic acid respectively, while the hydroxyl groups at C4 and C6' were unsubstituted.