Cell Wall Lipopolysaccharides from Xanthomonas Species

Abstract

Volk, Wesley A. (University of Virginia, Charlottesville). Cell wall lipopolysaccharides from Xanthomonas species. J. Bacteriol. 91: 39–42. 1966.—The lipopolysaccharides from 20 species of Xanthomonas were extracted and purified. Biological studies suggest that these lipopolysaccharides are analogous to the endotoxins extracted from enteric organisms, as judged by their mouse lethality and their ability to provoke the local Shwartzman reaction in rabbits. Studies on the composition of the polysaccharides revealed that all contained uronic acid, glucose, mannose, and a compound apparently identical to the 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate previously described in enteric organisms. The polysaccharide also contains organic phosphate, and additional carbohydrates such as rhamnose, xylose, fucose, and galactose are found in some, but not all, species. In contrast to the composition of the enteric lipopolysaccharides, heptose was not found in any of the lipopolysaccharides of the Xanthomonas species studied.