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Isolation of lipopolysaccharides and the effect of Polymyxin B on the outer membrane of Corynebacterium autotrophicum

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Abstract

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Corynebacterium autotrophicum were isolated and analyzed. Autotrophically grown cells contained 2–5 mg of partly purified LPS per g dry weight of lyophilized cells. Serological cross reaction with Lipid A antigen of Salmonella minnesota confirmed the presence of LPS in C. autotrophicum. Electron microscopy of negatively stained Polymyxin B-treated cells showed formation of blebs on the Outer Membrane indicating an interaction of Polymyxin B specifically with LPS. Up to now, no Gram-positive organisms are known which contain any LPS. Thus, C. autotrophicum, though giving opposite results when the Gram-staining reaction was applied by several authors, has to be classified into the group of Gram-negative bacteria.

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Abbreviations

LPS:

lipopolysaccharide

KDO:

2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate

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Wiegel, J., Mayer, F. Isolation of lipopolysaccharides and the effect of Polymyxin B on the outer membrane of Corynebacterium autotrophicum . Arch. Microbiol. 118, 67–69 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406076

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406076

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