Structural and immunochemical studies of the lipopolysaccharide from a new provisional serotype of Shigella flexneri

Abstract

The chemical structure of the O‐antigen of a proposed new provisional serotype of Shigella flexneri has been determined. Methylation analysis, GLC‐MS, 1H‐NMR and 13C‐NMR showed that the linear O‐antigenic polysaccharide is the same as for all S. flexneri [Kenne, L., Lindberg, B., Petersson, K. & Romanowska, E. (1977) Carbohydr. Res. 56, 363‐370]. A novel structural feature is that the disaccharide α‐D‐Glcp‐(1→2)‐α‐D‐Glcp is linked to O4 of the N‐acetyl‐glucosamine residue. (Formula Presented.) Western blotting of the lipopolysaccharide with an E. coli R3 core‐specific monoclonal antibody, suggested the presence of anE. coli R3 core. Copyright © 1988, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved