The O polysaccharide chain of the lipopolysaccharide from Vibrio cholerae O76 is a homopolymer of N-[(S)-(+)-2-hydroxypropionyl]-alpha-L-perosamine

Chemical and serological studies of LPS from Vibrio cholerae O76 (O76) were performed. The LPS of O76 contained D-glucose, D-galactose, L-glycero-D-manno-heptose, D-fructose, D-glucosamine, D-quinovosamine (2-amino-2,6-dideoxy-D-glucose) and L-perosamine (4-amino-4,6-dideoxy-L-mannopyranose). The sugar composition of the LPS from O76 was quite similar to that of LPS from V. cholerae O1 with the exception of the presence of a small amount of D-galactose in the LPS of O76. However, perosamine, a major sugar component of the LPS from O76, was in the L configuration in contrast to the a configuration of the perosamine in the LPS of V. cholerae O1. The L-perosamine was N-acylated with an (S)-(+)-2-hydroxypropionyl group in the LPS from O76. Structural analysis by NMR spectroscopy, as well as GUMS, revealed that the O polysaccharide chain of the LPS from O76 was an alpha(1 --> 2)-linked homopolymer of N-[(S)-(+)-2-hydroxypropionyl]-L-perosamine. The serological cross-reactivity between the LPS of O76 and the LPS from other strains, such as V. cholerae O1 (Ogawa and Inaba O forms), Vibrio bio-serogroup 1875 (Original and Variant strains), V. cholerae O140 (Hakata) and Yersinia enterocolitica O9, was examined in passive haemolysis tests with sheep red blood cells that had been sensitized with LPS and antisera raised against whole cells of these bacteria. The latter six strains have in common the O antigen that includes Inaba antigen factor C, in addition to their own O-antigenic factors. Thus, they cross-react serologically. The O polysaccharide chains of the LPS of these six strains are known to consist exclusively of alpha(1 --> 2)-linked D-perosamine homopolymers and differences are found only among the N-acyl substituents. In passive haemolysis tests, the LPS of O76 did not cross-react serologically with any of the other LPS examined. Thus, the results obtained in this study support the hypothesis that Inaba antigen factor C, associated with the O antigens of these six strains, which include V. cholerae O1, is related substantially and exclusively to their alpha(1 --> 2)-linked homopolymers of N-acylated D-perosamine, and not to such homopolymers of N-acylated L-perosamine.