Abstract
Lipopolysaccharides have been isolated from eight strains of the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechococcus. Fucose, mannose, galactose, glucose and glucosamine were found in all of the lipopolysaccharides investigated. Additionally, strain-specific sugars are present and permit the chemotyping of lipopolysaccharide. Chemotype I, comprising three strains with a high G+C content of DNA (71-66 mol%), is characterized by a high rhamnose portion and by 3,6-dideoxy-d-arabino-hexose (tyvelose). Chemotype III, represented by three strains with a low G+C content of DNA (55-48 mol%), contains a mannose-polymer with small amounts of 3-O-methyl-mannose, 4-O-methyl-mannose, 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate and mannosamine. Lipopolysaccharides of the two strains of chemotype II contain 2,3,4-tri-O-methyl-arabinose.
Lipid A is difficult to split off from the polysaccharide moiety, but is present in all lipopolysaccharides from the Synechococcus strains. The presence of Lipid A is supported by the finding of β-hydroxy fatty acids, predominantly β-hydroxypalmitic acid. The distribution of branched β-hydroxy fatty acids, detected in small amounts, parallels chemotyping of lipopolysaccharide based on the sugar composition. The phosphorus content of the lipopolysaccharides is low.
The pyrogenicity of lipopolysaccharides from two strains is low. Synechococcus lipopolysaccharides have little reactivity in antisera raised in rabbits against homologous cells. As far as tested they do not migrate in immunoelectrophoresis. This confirms the neutral character or low negative charge of Synechococcus lipopolysaccharides.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Boon, J. J., Leeuw de, J. W., Hoeh v. d., G. J., Vosjan, J. H.: Significance and taxonomic value of iso and anteiso monoenoic fatty acids and branched β-hydroxy acids in Desulfovibrio desulfuricans. J. Bacteriol. 129, 1183–1191 (1977)
Drews, G.: Fine structure and chemical composition of the cell envelopes. In: The biology of the blue-green algae (N. G. Carr, B. A. Whitton, eds.), pp. 96–116 Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications 1973
Drews, G., Weckesser, J., Mayer, H.: Cell envelopes. In: The photosynthetic bacteria (R. K. Clayton, W. R. Sistrom, eds.), pp. 61–77. New York: Plenum Press 1978
Fox, G. E., Pechmann, K. R., Woese, C. R.: Comparative cataloging of 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid: molecular approach to procaryotic systematics. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 27, 44–57 (1977)
Framberg, K., Mayer, H., Weckesser, J., Drews, G.: Serologische Untersuchungen an isolierten Lipopolysacchariden aus Rhodopseudomonas palustris Stämmen. Arch. Mikrobiol. 98, 239–250 (1974)
Galanos, C., Rietschel, E. Th., Lüderitz, O., Westphal, O.: Biological activities of lipid A complexed with bovine serum albumin. Eur. J. Biochem. 31, 230–237 (1972)
Galanos, C., Lüderitz, O., Rietschel, E. Th., Westphal, O.: Newer aspects of the chemistry and biology of bacterial lipopolysaccharides, with special reference to their lipid A component. Int. Rev. Biochem., Biochemistry of Lipids II 14, 239–335 (1977)
Geitler, L.: Schizophyzeen. In: Handbuch der Pflanzenanatomie VI, Teil 1 (W. Zimmermann, P. Ozenda, eds.), pp. 131. Berlin: Gebr. Bornträger 1960
Herdmann, M., Janvier, M., Waterbury, J. B., Rippka, R., Stanier, R. Y., Mandel, M.: Deoxyribonucleic acid base composition of cyanobacteria. J. Gen. Microbiol. 111, 63–71 (1979a)
Herdman, M., Janvier, M., Rippka, R., Stanier, R. Y.: Genome size of cyanobacteria. J. Gen. Microbiol. 111, 73–85 (1979b)
Jann, B., Jann, K.: 2-Amino-2,6-dideoxy-l-mannose (l-rhamnosamine) isolated from the lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli O3:K2 ab (l):H2. Eur. J. Biochem. 5, 173–177 (1968)
Katz, A., Weckesser, J., Drews, G., Mayer, H.: Chemical and biological studies on the lipopolysaccharide (O-antigen) of Anacystis nidulans. Arch. Mikrobiol. 113, 247–256 (1977)
Kauffmann, F.: Classification of bacteria, pp. 169. Copenhagen: Munksgaard 1975
Keleti, G., Sykora, J. L., Lippy, E., Shapiro, M. A.: Composition and biological properties of lipopolysaccharides isolated from Schizothrix calcicola (Ag.) Gomont (cyanobacteria). Appl. Environm. Microbiol. 38, 471–477 (1979)
McOmie, J. F. W., Watts, M. L., West, D. E.: Demethylation of arylmethyl ethers by boron tribromide. Tetrahydron 24, 2289–2292 (1968)
Metcalfe, L. D., Pelka, D. P., Schmitz, A. A.: Rapid preparation of fatty acid esters from lipids for gas-chromatographic analysis. Anal. Chem. 38, 514–515 (1966)
Morrison, W. R., Smith, L. M.: Preparation of fatty acid methyl esters and dimethylacetals from lipids with boron fluoridemethanol. J. Lipid Res. 5, 600–608 (1964)
Rietschel, E. Th., Galanos, C., Lüderitz, O.: Structure, endotoxicity, and immunogenicity of the lipid A component of bacterial lipopolysaccharides. In: Microbiology 1975 (D. Schlessinger, ed.), pp. 307–312. Washington D. C.: American Soc. Microbiol. 1975
Rippka, R., Deruelles, J., Waterbury, J. B., Herdman, M., Stanier, R. Y.: Generic assignment, strain histories and properties of pure cultures of cyanobacteria. J. Gen. Microbiol. 111, 1–61 (1979)
Rosenfelder, G., Lüderitz, O., Westphal, O.: Composition of lipopolysaccharides from Myxococcus fulvus and other fruiting and non-fruiting myxobacteria. Eur. J. Biochem 44, 411–420 (1974)
Rottem, S., Markowitz, O., Razin, S.: Thermal regulation of the fatty acid composition of lipopolysaccharides and phospholipids of Proteus mirabilis. Eur. J. Biochem. 85, 445–450 (1978)
Ryhage, R., Stenhagen, E.: Mass spectrometric studies IV. Esters of monomethyl-substituted long chain carboxylic acids. Ark. Kemi 15, no 26, 291–315 (1959)
Ryhage, R., Stenhagen, E.: Mass spectrometric studies VI. Methylesters of normal chain oxo-, hydroxy-, methoxy- and epoxy-acids. Ark. Kemi 15, no 50, 549–569 (1960)
Schlecht, S., Westphal, O.: Über die Herstellung von Antiseren gegen die somatischen (O-) Antigene von Salmonellen. I. Mitteilung: Untersuchungen über Agglutinintiter. Zbl. Bakt., I. Abt. Orig. 204, 335–355 (1967)
Schmidt, W., Drews, G., Weckesser, J., Mayer, H.: Lipopolysaccharides in four strains of the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis. Arch. Microbiol. 127, 217–222 (1980)
Stanier, R. Y., Kunisawa, R., Mandel, M., Cohen-Bazire: Purification and properties of unicellular blue-green algae (Order Chroococales). Bacteriol. Rev. 35, 171–205 (1971)
Tharanathan, R. N., Mayer, H., Weckesser, J.: Location of O-methyl-sugars in antigenic (lipo-) polysaccharides of photosynthetic bacteria and cyanobacteria. Biochem. J. 171, 403–408 (1978)
Waravdekar, V. S., Saslaw, L. D.: A sensitive colorimetric method for the estimation of 2-deoxy sugars with the use of the thiobarbituric acid reaction. J. Biol. Chem. 234, 1945–1950 (1959)
Weckesser, J., Katz, A., Drews, G., Mayer, H., Fromme, I.: Lipopolysaccharide containing l-acofriose in the filamentous blue-green alga Anabaena variabilis. J. Bacteriol. 120, 672–678 (1974)
Weckesser, J., Drews, G., Mayer, H.: Lipopolysaccharide aus Zellwänden photosynthetischer Prokaryonten. Bedeutung für Fragen der Taxonomie und der endotoxischen Aktivität. Naturwiss. Rundsch 30, 360–364 (1977)
Weckesser, J., Drews, G., Mayer, H.: Lipopolysaccharides of photosynthetic prokaryotes. Ann. Rev. Microbiol. 33, 215–239 (1979)
Westphal, O., Lüderitz, O., Bister, F.: Über die Extraktion von Bakterien mit Phenol/Wasser. Z. Naturforsch. 7b, 148–155 (1952)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Dedicated to Professor Otto Kandler on occasion of his 60th birthday
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schmidt, W., Drews, G., Weckesser, J. et al. Characterization of the lipopolysaccharides from eight strains of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus . Arch. Microbiol. 127, 209–215 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427195
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427195