Characterization of Pantoea agglomerans lipopolysaccharides

Abstract

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from seven Pantoea agglomerans strains isolated from various plants were purified and chemically identified. LPS of the studied P. agglomerans strains were heterogeneous in monosaccharide composition. Thus, the LPS of P. agglomerans 8606 differed considerably from the LPSs of other strains, containing mannose as the predominant monosaccharide (69.8%), as well as ribose (15.1%) and xylose (12.6%), while the content of rhamnose, one of the predominant monosaccharides in other LPS samples, was 2.5%. Analysis of the fatty acid composition revealed the presence of C12-C16 acids. In lipids A of all the studied strains, 3-OH-C14:0 was the predominant acid (31.7 to 39.1%, depending on the strain). C12:0 (8.2 to 31.5%), C14:0 (12.9 to 30.8%), and C16:0 acids (3.4 to 16.9%) were also revealed. The studied P. agglomerans strains fell into three groups according to their fatty acid composition. The differences stemmed from the presence or absence of two fatty acids, 2-OH-C14:0 and C16:1. Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion in agar revealed that all the LPS under study exhibited antigenic activity in homologous systems. The results of serological cross reactions indicated immunochemical heterogeneity of the species P. agglomerans. Comparative investigation of the complex of parameters of peripheral blood cells from a healthy donor before and after treatment with LPS solutions showed that the values of no parameters exceeded the normal range.