Structural characterisation of a rhamnan and a fucorhamnan, both present in the lipopolysaccharide of Burkholderia vietnamiensis strain LMG 10926

The polymeric fraction isolated after mild acid hydrolysis of the lipopolys accharide (LPS) from Burkholderia vietnamiensis strain LMG 10926 contained L-rhamnose (Rha) and D-fucose (Fuc). From NMR studies supported by the resu lts of methylation analysis and Smith degradation, it could be inferred tha t the material was probably a mixture of two glycans. One component was a l inear rhamnan with a trisaccharide repeating unit (1); the other was a bran ched fucorhamnan with a tetrasaccharide repeating unit (2). The presence of two distinct polymeric fractions in LPS is a common feature for Burkholder ia species. [GRAPHICS]