Novel oligosaccharides obtained by bacteriophage degradation of the polysaccharide from Klebsiella serotype K26.

Bacteriophage phi 26 was used to depolymerize the polysaccharide of Klebsiella K26, yielding three oligosaccharides. The major product was the heptasaccharide repeating unit, with one of the minor products being the fourteen-sugar oligosaccharide corresponding to two repeating units. The other minor product was unusual since it was a hexasaccharide devoid of the terminal, pyruvate-containing galactose unit present in the side chain of the normal repeating unit. Phage phi 26 was shown to act as a beta-galactosidase, and hence it may have the ability to remove the terminal beta-galactose residue in the side chain.