The use of bacteriophage depolymerization in the structural investigation of the capsular polysaccharide from Klebsiella serotype K3.

The structure of the repeating unit of the capsular polysaccharide from Klebsiella serotype K3 has been established from the results of n.m.r. (1H and 13C) spectroscopy and methylation analysis of P1, the pyruvic acetal-bearing pentasaccharide obtained on depolymerization of the polysaccharide with a bacteriophage-borne endogalactosidase, reduced deacetalated P1, and the native polysaccharide. The data permit the assignment of the following structure to the repeating unit: (formula see text)