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Lipopolysaccharides of Rhizobium

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Abstract

Hot phenol-water extractions were carried out of cells from 12 strains of the fast-growing rhizobia Rhizobium leguminosarum, Rhizobium phaseoli, Rhizobium trifolii and Rhizobium meliloti. Purified lipopolysaccharide preparations contain neutral sugars, hexosamines, 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate and uronic acids. Glucose, galactose, mannose, rhamnose and fucose are present in the majority of the LPS-preparations, but in varying proportions. Heptose was only found in some of them. O-methylated sugars are present in small amounts is most preparations, the kind of sugar being characteristic for lipopolysaccharides from different species. The lipid A part of lipopolysaccharides from all strains examined has identical patterns of fatty acids, namely β-OH-C14:0, β-OH-C15:0 (anteiso branched), β-OH-C16:0 and β-OH-C18:0. Comparison of the total compositions of Rhizobium lipopolysaccharides shows many differences among different species as among strains of a single species. Nearly identical lipopolysaccharide compositions also exist among certain strains, which constitute the same chemotype and which are also immunologically related. In view of a possible role of surface carbohydrates of Rhizobium in the root nodule symbiosis, the specificity of the binding of legume lectins with exo- and lipopolysaccharides of Rhizobium is discussed.

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Abbreviations

LPS:

lipopolysaccharide(s)

EPS:

exopolysaccharides(s)

cetavlon:

cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide

KDO:

2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate

ECL:

equivalent chain length

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Microbiology, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    L. P. T. M. Zevenhuizen, Ineke Scholten-Koerselman & M. A. Posthumus

  2. Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    L. P. T. M. Zevenhuizen, Ineke Scholten-Koerselman & M. A. Posthumus

Authors
  1. L. P. T. M. Zevenhuizen
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  2. Ineke Scholten-Koerselman
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  3. M. A. Posthumus
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Part II on Surface Carbohydrates of Rhizobium

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Zevenhuizen, L.P.T.M., Scholten-Koerselman, I. & Posthumus, M.A. Lipopolysaccharides of Rhizobium . Arch. Microbiol. 125, 1–8 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00403191

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