Detailed structural analysis of the O-polysaccharide expressed by Burkholderia thailandensis E264

O-polysaccharide (OPS) was isolated from purified Burkholderia thailandensis E264 lipopolysaccharide by mild-acid hydrolysis and gel-permeation chromatography. Glycosyl composition and methylation analyses along with 1D and 2D 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy experiments revealed that the OPS antigen was an unbranched heteropolymer with the following structure:Collectively, these results suggest that B. thailandensis OPS is structurally more complex than B. pseudomallei OPS and provide evidence of the signal used by B. thailandensis to terminate chain elongation.

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► Burkholderia thailandensis is a non-pathogenic saprophyte.
► Burkholderia pseudomallei is a select agent pathogen.
► B. thailandensis OPS is structurally similar to B. pseudomallei OPS.
► 3-O-Me-2,4-di-O-Ac-6dTal residues appear to terminate OPS chain elongation.