Abstract

Endotoxic lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) are the major components of Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane. Like many amphipathic molecules, they pose problems of heterogeneity, purity, solubility, and aggregation. Nevertheless, PDMS has recently have been applied to unmodified endotoxins composed of LPS having uip to five sugar units in their saccharide chain. The B. Pertussis LPSs, most of which have a dodecasaccharide domain, ahve been analysed by classical methods and the masses of the separate lipid and saccharide domains determined after rupture of the bond linking them. However, the acid treatment employed for these and most chemical analyses can also modify structures in the vicinity of the bond. In order to investigate this biologically-important region, the endotoxin was treated to nitrous deamination, which shortens the saccharide chain to five sugars, but preserves the acid-labile region of the LPS. The PDM spectrum of this derivative, which required new conditions for its desorption, confirmed the structure analysis and demonstrated the presence of at least four molecular species.

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