Capsule structure of Proteus mirabilis (ATCC 49565)

Abstract

Proteus mirabilis 2573 (ATCC 49565) produces an acidic capsular polysaccharide which was shown from glycose analysis, carboxyl reduction, methylation, periodate oxidation, and the application of one dimensional and two-dimensional high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance techniques to be a high-molecular-weight polymer of branched trisaccharide units composed of 2- acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose (N-acetyl-D-glucosamine), 2-acetamido-2,6- dideoxy-L-galactose (N-acetyl-L-fucosamine), and D-glucuronic acid. P. mirabilis 2573 also produces an O:6 serotype lipopolysaccharide in which the O-chain component has the same structure as the homologous capsular polysaccharide. This is the first report of a defined capsular polysaccharide in this bacterial genus.