Exopolysaccharide production by mucoid and non-mucoid strains of Burkholderia cepacia

Thirteen strains of Burkholderia cepacia from various origins with mucoid a nd non-mucoid phenotypes were assayed for exopolysaccharide (EPS) productio n. The EPS were characterized by glycosyl composition analysis and examinat ion of the products resulting from lithium-ethylenediamine and Smith degrad ations. The results showed that all strains, including the non-mucoid strai ns, were able to produce EPS exhibiting the same structural features, i.e. presence of one rhamnosyl, three galactosyl, one mannosyl, one glucosyl and one glucuronosyl residues, suggesting that this EPS is representative of t he B. cepacia species. (C) 2000 Federation of European Microbiological Soci eties. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.