Structural studies of the Escherichia coli O127 O-antigen polysaccharide.

The O-specific side-chain of the lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli O127a:H- (O127a:4932-53) has been investigated using 2D NMR spectroscopy, methylation analysis, and partial solvolysis with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride as the principal methods. It is concluded that the polysaccharide is composed of tetrasaccharide repeating-units having the following structure. -->2)-alpha-L-Fucp-(1-->2)-beta-D-Galp-(1-->3)-alpha-D-GalpNAc-(1- ->3)-alpha-D- GalpNAc-(1--> The polysaccharide contains approximately one mole of O-acetyl groups per repeating unit distributed over several positions.