Extraction and characterization of lipopolysaccharide from Pseudomonas pseudomallei.

The best yield of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Pseudomonas pseudomallei GIFU 12046 was obtained by extraction of defatted cells by phenol/chloroform/petroleum ether. The LPS showed a smooth character on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and contained D-glucose, L-glycero-D-manno-heptose, and D-glucosamine as the main sugar components, and 3-hydroxypalmitic acid as an amide-linked fatty acid. The growth conditions did not affect the electrophoresis profile and chemical composition of LPS. 2-Keto-3-deoxyoctonic acid was not detectable, and mild acid hydrolysis could not liberate free lipid A, suggesting that the linkage between inner core and lipid A was stable against acid hydrolysis, and the structure of this region is similar to that of P. cepacia, which has close taxonomic relationship with P. pseudomallei.