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Sialic acid-containing lipopolysaccharides in purple nonsulfur bacteria

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Abstract

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from a number of purple nonsulfur bacteria and of phylogenetically related species were analyzed for the presence of sialic acid by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Species and strains of the genera Rhodobacter, Rhodopseudomonas, Rhodomicrobium, Rhodospirillum, Rhodocyclus and Rhodopila were investigated, sialic acid, however, was found only in the genus Rhodobacter. It occurs in strains of Rhodobacter capsulatus, R. sphaeroides, R. sulfidophilus and R. veldkampii. All these species belong to the α-3 subgroup of purple bacteria as defined by 16S rRNA catalogues. Approximately equimolar ratios of sialic acid and of 2-keto-3-deoxy-octonate (KDO) were found in isolated LPSs. Sodium deoxycholate gel electrophoresis of these LPS-samples also suggested a location of sialic acid in the LPS “core” region. Sialic acid was present only in those LPSs, which exhibited a “complete core region”.

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Abbreviations

LPS :

Lipopolysaccharide

Neu5Ac :

N-acetylneuraminic acid

KDO :

2-Keto-3-deoxy-octonate

Neuß2Me :

neuraminic acid-β2-methyl glycoside

DOC :

sodium deoxycholate

PAGE :

polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

HPLC :

high performance liquid chromatography

TLC :

thin layer chromatography

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Immunbiologie, Stübeweg 51, D-7800, Freiburg, Federal Republic of Germany

    J. H. Krauss & H. Mayer

  2. Biochemisches Institut, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, Olshausenstrasse 40, D-2300, Kiel, Federal Republic of Germany

    G. Reuter & R. Schauer

  3. Institut für Biologie II, Mikrobiologie, der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Schänzlestrasse 1, D-7800, Freiburg, Federal Republic of Germany

    J. Weckesser

Authors
  1. J. H. Krauss
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  2. G. Reuter
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  3. R. Schauer
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  4. J. Weckesser
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  5. H. Mayer
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Krauss, J.H., Reuter, G., Schauer, R. et al. Sialic acid-containing lipopolysaccharides in purple nonsulfur bacteria. Arch. Microbiol. 150, 584–589 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408254

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408254

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