The atypical lipopolysaccharide ofFrancisella

• Francisella has an unusual bacterial LPS in many ways.
• Francisella lipid A has only four acyl chains, longer than E. coli lipid A.
• Majority of Francisella lipid A are ‘free’, which are not linked to core + O-antigen.
• Francisella LPS core has only one Kdo, the second Kdo is cleaved off by Kdo hydrolase.
• Francisella LPS is an important virulence factor.

Bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) are ubiquitous molecules that are prominent components of the outer membranes of most gram-negative bacteria. Genetic and structural characterizations of Francisella LPS have revealed substantial differences when compared to more commonly studied LPSs of the Enterobacteriaceae. This review discusses both the general characteristics and the unusual features of Francisella LPS.

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