THE MISSING TYPICAL RHIZOBIUM-LEGUMINOSARUM O-ANTIGEN IS ATTACHED TO A FATTY ACYLATED GLYCEROL IN RHIZOBIUM-LEGUMINOSARUM BV TRIFOLII 4S, ASTRAIN THAT ALSO LACKS THE USUAL TETRASACCHARIDE CORE COMPONENT

Rhizobium leguminosarum by. trifolii 4S has a lipopolysaccharide O ant igen that lacks galactose and many of the typical glycosyl components found in related strains. Here, we show that it also lacks the typical core tetrasaccharide but synthesizes an alternative glycolipid that c ontains galactose and the typical O-antigen glycosyl components, sugge sting that in this strain, the O antigen is transferred to an alternat ive lipid acceptor.