LACTOBACILLUS-HELVETICUS LH59 SECRETES AN EXOPOLYSACCHARIDE THAT IS IDENTICAL TO THE ONE PRODUCED BY LACTOBACILLUS-HELVETICUS TN-4, A PRESUMED SPONTANEOUS MUTANT OF LACTOBACILLUS-HELVETICUS TY1-2

Lactobacillus helveticus Lh59 produces a high-molecular-mass exopolysa ccharide (greater than or equal to 2 X 10(6) Da) when cultured in skim med milk. Compositional analysis, methylation analysis and NMR experim ents (H-1 and C-13) recorded from the native polysaccharide as well as from oligosaccharides released by partial acid hydrolysis, allowed th e complete structural determination of this polysaccharide, which cons ists of the following hexasaccharide repeating unit: [GRAPHICS] This s tructure is identical to the one of an EPS produced by L. helveticus T N-4, which was claimed to be a spontaneous mutant of strain TY1-2. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.