Klebsiella serotype 25 capsular polysaccharide: primary structure and depolymerization by a bacteriophage-borne glycanase.

By partial acid hydrolysis, methylation and gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry of the methylated monomers (as the alditol acetates), mass spectrometry of trimethylsilylated disaccharide alditols, as well as proton magnetic resonance, the primary structure of the Klebsiella serotype 25 capsular polysaccharide was elucidated. A glycanase activity, associated with the particles of newly isolated Klebsiella bacteriophage no. 25, was shown to catalyze the hydrolysis of the glycan.