Structure of the O-polysaccharide of Escherichia coli O132

Mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli O132 released its O-polysaccharide. Analysis by 1D and 2D H-1 and C-13 NMR spectroscopy prior and subsequent to O-deacetylation, in conjunction with sugar analysis, revealed a linear pentasaccharide repeating unit of the O-polysaccharide having the following structure: -> 2)-alpha-D-Galf-(1 -> 3)-alpha-L-Rhap2Ac-(1 -> 4)-alpha-D-Glcp-(1 -> 2)-alpha-L-Rhap-(1 -> 3)-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1 -> Putative functions of genes in the O-antigen gene cluster of E. coli O132 are consistent with the O-polysaccharide structure