Characterization of the lipopolysaccharide and β‐glucan of the fish pathogen Francisella victoria

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and β‐glucan from Francisella victoria, a fish pathogen and close relative of highly virulent mammal pathogen Francisella tularensis, have been analyzed using chemical and spectroscopy methods. The polysaccharide part of the LPS was found to contain a nonrepetitive sequence of 20 monosaccharides as well as alanine, 3‐aminobutyric acid, and a novel branched amino acid, thus confirming F. victoria as a unique species. The structure identified composes the largest oligosaccharide elucidated by NMR so far, and was possible to solve using high field NMR with cold probe technology combined with the latest pulse sequences, including the first application of H2BC sequence to oligosaccharides. The non‐phosphorylated lipid A region of the LPS was identical to that of other Francisellae, although one of the lipid A components has not been found in Francisella novicida. The heptoseless core‐lipid A region of the LPS contained a linear pentasaccharide fragment identical to the corresponding part of F. tularensis and F. novicida LPSs, differing in side‐chain substituents. The linkage region of the O‐chain also closely resembled that of other Francisella. LPS preparation contained two characteristic glucans, previously observed as components of LPS preparations from other strains of Francisella: amylose and the unusual β‐(1–6)‐glucan with (glycerol)2phosphate at the reducing end.