Structural investigations of the extracellular polysaccharide elaborated by s19, a Xanthomonas-type bacterium

Abstract

The extracellular, acidic heteropolysaccharide from Xanthomonas S19 consists of D-glucuronic acid, D-glucose, D-galactose, and D-mannose residues in the approximate molar ratios of 1.6:3:1:1, plus acetyl groups liked to C-2 and/or C-3 of a large proportion of the glucose residues. Methylation studies showed that the glucose is present as non-reducing end-group also as 1,2- and 1,4-linked units, the galactose residues are solely 1,3-linked, a major proportion of the mannose residues are 1,2,4-linked and the rest 1,2-linked. A high proportion of the glucuronic acid units are 1,4-linked. Periodate oxidation confirmed the presence of these linkages. The disaccharides D-Glc-(1→4)- D-Glc, D-Glc-(1→2)- D-Man, D-Glc-(1→3)- D-Gal, D-Gal-(1→2)- D-Glc, D-GlcA-(1→4)- D-GlcA, and β- D-GlcA-(1→4)- D-Man were isolated from a partial hydrolysate of the polysaccharide, and characterised. The similarities and differences between this polysaccharide and those from other Xanthomonas species are discussed.