[Bacterial antigenic polysaccharides. 20. The structure of the O-specific polysaccharide chain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa O(3a),3d,3f (Lányi) lipopolysaccharide].

Mild acid degradation of lipopolysaccharide from Pseudomonas aeruginosa O(3a), 3d, 3f (Lányi classification) afforded O-specific polysaccharide containing N-acetyl-D-fucosamine, 2,3-diacetamido-2,3-dideoxy-D-mannuronic acid, 3-acetamidino-2-acetamido-2,3-dideoxy-L-guluronic and D-mannuronic acid as well as O-acetyl groups. On the basis of O-deacetylation, selective cleavage with anhydrous fluoride, chemical transformation of the oligosaccharides obtained (hydrolysis or reductive deamination of the acetamidino group into acetamido or ethylamino group, respectively) and analysis by 13C NMR spectroscopy, it was concluded that the polysaccharide is built up mainly by trisaccharide repeating units of types A and B in the ratio approximately 2:1: (Formula: see text). The units of both types most probably enter the same polymeric chain. If so, such a hybrid structure can be accounted for by incompleteness of epimerization at C5 of the acetamidino derivative of mannuronic acid at the polymer level in the course of biosynthesis of this polysaccharide.