Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Carbohydrate profiling of bacteria by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry: Chemical derivatization and analytical pyrolysis

  • Current Topic: Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Carbohydrate profiling by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is a powerful tool for the identification and detection of bacteria. Its increasing applicability in the microbiology laboratory is illustrated by three examples. In the first, differentiation of legionellae by their sugar composition was determined with alditol acetate derivatization followed by selectedion monitoring. In the second example, a carbohydrate pyrolysis product from Streptococcus agalactiae was used to differentiate group B streptococci from other Lancefield groups after direct sampling from culture plates. The third example employed the carbohydrates rhamnose and muramic acid as chemical markers for the direct detection of bacterial cell wall degradation products in mammalian tissues. The analysis of carbohydrate markers for bacteria by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry has great potential for use in clinical identification of isolated bacteria as well as in the rapid diagnosis of bacterial infections without prior culture.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Larsson, L.: Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. In: Jorgensen, J. (ed.): Automation in clinical microbiology. CRC Press, Boca Raton/FL, 1987, p. 153–166.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Fox, A., Morgan, S.L.: The chemotaxonomic characterization of microorganisms by capillary gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In: Nelson, W. H. (ed.): Rapid detection and identification of microorganisms. Verlag Chemie, Deerfield Beach/FL, 1985, p. 135–164.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Fox, A., Lau, P., Morgan, S. L., Brown, A., Zhu, Z.-T., Lema, M., Walla, M. D.: Capillary gas Chromatographic analysis of carbohydrates ofLegionella pneumophila and other members of theLegionellaceae. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1984, 19: 326–332.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Fox, A., Morgan, S. L., Hudson, J. R., Zhu, Z.T., Lau, P. Y.: Capillary gas Chromatographic analysis of aldiol acetates of neutral and amino sugars in bacterial cell walls. Journal of Chromatography 1983, 256: 429–438.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Gilbart, J., Fox, A., Whiton, R. S., Morgan, S. L.: Rhamnose and muramic acid: chemical markers for bacterial cell walls in mammalian tissues. Journal of Microbiological Methods 1986, 5: 271–282.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bryn, K., Jantzen, E.: Analysis of lipopolysaccharides by methanolysis, trifluoroacetylation and gas chromatography on a fused silica capillary column. Journal of Chromatography 1982, 240: 405–413.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bryn, K., Jantzen, E.: Quantification of 2-keto-3-deoxy octonate in (lipo)polysaccharides by methanolytic release, trifluoroacetylation and capillary gas chromatography. Journal of Chromatography 1986, 370: 103–112.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Pritchard, D. J., Coligan, J. E., Speed, S. E., Gray, B. M.: Carbohydrate fingerprints of streptococcal cells. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1981, 13: 89–92.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Irwin, W. J.: Taxonomy. In: Irwin, W. J. (ed.): Analytical pyrolysis. Marcel Dekker, New York, 1982, p. 381–431.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Bayer, F. L., Morgan, S. L.: The analysis of biopolymers by analytical pyrolysis gas chromatography. In: Levy, E., Liebman, S. A. (ed.): Pyrolysis and GC in polymer analysis. Marcel Dekker, New York, 1985, p. 277–337.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Eudy, L. W., Walla, M. D., Hudson, J. R., Morgan, S. L., Fox, A.: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry studies on the occurrence of acetamide, proprionamide, and furturyl alcohol in pyrolysates of bacteria, bacterial fractions, and model compounds. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 1985, 7: 231–247.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Eudy, L. W., Walla, M. D., Morgan, S. L., Fox, A.: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric determination of muramic acid content and pyrolysis profiles for a group of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The Analyst 1985, 110: 381–385.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Wieten, G., Boon, J. J., Groothuis, D. G., Portaels, F., Minnikin, D. E.: Rapid detection of mycobacterial contamination in batches of whole cells or purified mycobacterium leprae by pyrolysis gas chromatography. FEMS Microbiology Letters 1984, 25: 289–293.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Smith, C. S., Morgan, S. L., Parks, C. D., Fox, A., Pritchard, D.: A chemical marker for the differentiation of group A and group B streptococci by pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Analytical Chemistry 1987, 59: 1410–1413.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Helleur, R. J., Hayes, E. R., Jamieson, W. D., Craigie, J. S.: Analysis of polysaccharide pyrolysate of red algae by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 1985, 8: 333–347.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kaaden, A., van der Boon, J. J., Haverkamp, J.: The analytical pyrolysis of carbohydrates 2-differentiation of homopolyhexoses according to their linkage type, by pyrolysis-mass spectrometry and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Biomedical Mass Spectrometry 1984, 11: 486–492.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Facklam, R.: Streptococci and Aerococci. In: Lennette, E. H. (ed.): Manual of clinical microbiology. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, D.C., 1980, p. 88–110.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Gilbart, J., Fox, A.: Elimination of streptococcal cell walls from mammalian tissues. Infection and Immunity 1987, 55: 1526–1528.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Walla, M. D., Lau, P. Y., Morgan, S. L., Fox, A., Brown, A.: Capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of carbohydrate components of legionellae and other bacteria. Journal of Chromatography 1984, 288: 399–413.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Otten, S., Iyer, S., Johnson, W., Montgomery, R.: Serospecific antigens ofLegionella pneumophila.Journal of Bacteriology 1986, 167: 893–904.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Pritchard, D. G., Gray, B. M., Dillon, H. C.. Characterization of the group-specific polysaccharide of group B streptococcus. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 1984, 235: 385–392.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Roboz, J., Suzuki, R., Holland, J. F.. Quantitation of arabinitol in serum by selected ion monitoring as a diagnostic tool in invasive candidiasis. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1980, 12: 594–602.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Larsson, L., Odham, G., Westerdahl, G., Olsson, B.: Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis by selected ion monitoring: improved analysis of tuberculostearate in sputum using negative-ion mass spectrometry. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1987, 25: 893–896.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Maitra, S. K., Nachum, R., Pearson, F. C.: Establishment of beta-hydroxy fatty acids as chemical marker molecules for bacterial endotoxin by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 1986, 52: 510–514.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, 29208, Columbia, South Carolina, USA

    J. Gilbart & A. Fox

  2. Department of Chemistry, University of South Carolina, 29208, Columbia, South Carolina, USA

    S. L. Morgan

Authors
  1. J. Gilbart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Fox
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. L. Morgan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gilbart, J., Fox, A. & Morgan, S.L. Carbohydrate profiling of bacteria by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry: Chemical derivatization and analytical pyrolysis. Eur. J, Clin. Microbiol. 6, 715–723 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02013084

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02013084

Keywords

Search

Navigation