Degradation of bacterial lipopolysaccharide by gut juice os the snail Helix pomatia.

Lipopolysaccharides from several bacteria were selectively degarded by gut juice of the snail Helix pomatia with extensive loss of anticomplementary activity and changes in the electrophoretic pattern in polyacrylamide gels. The gut juice had little effect on ketodeoxyoctonate content or immunodominant sugars. The lipid A moiety of the lipopolysaccharide appeared to be the main site of attack.