Elucidation of two O-chain structures from the lipopolysaccharide fraction of Agrobacterium tumefaciens F/1

Agrobacterilan tumefaciens F/1 produces two different O-chains, both are constituted of rhamnose and glucosamine: the less abundant has a linear disaccharidic repeating unit 3)-alpha-L-Rhap-(1 --> 3)-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1 --> and the second one 4)-alpha-I.-Rhap(1 --> 3)-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1 -->. The two intact antigenic moieties were studied in mixture by 2D NMR. Additional supporting data were obtained by periodate degradation, the major component was cleaved selectively, leading to a glucosamine glycoside, whereas the minor one was recovered unaffected. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.