STRUCTURE OF THE CAPSULAR POLYSACCHARIDE FROM THE KLEBSIELLA K8 REFERENCE STRAIN-1015

The structure of the capsular polysaccharide from the Klebsiella K8 re ference strain 1015 has been elucidated. The structure was deduced fro m sugar analysis, different methylation analyses, a uronic acid degrad ation, and NMR spectroscopy. It is concluded that the polysaccharide i s composed of pentasaccharide repeating units with the structure: [GRA PHICS] The structure differs from that of the previously published str ucture of the capsular polysaccharide from Klebsiella K8, which origin ates from another strain and has the following structure: [GRAPHICS] T he serological similarity between the two strains is most likely deriv ed from a common tetrasaccharide which is substituted in different way s in the two strains. Since the strain in the present investigation or iginates from the Klebsiella K reference strain collection of the Inte rnational Escherichia and Klebsiella Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark, it i s suggested that it should keep the designation K8. The other polysacc haride with Klebsiella K8 specificity should be renamed as K8,52,59 ba sed on the cross-reactivity of the strain (I. Orskov, unpublished).