This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lüderitz, O. Articles by Westphal, O. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lüderitz, O. Articles by Westphal, O.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Bacteriol. 1965 February; 89(2): 343-354
Copyright © 1965 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Biochemical Studies of the Smooth-Rough Mutation in Salmonella minnesota

Department of Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
Max-Planck-Institut für Immunbiologie, Freiburg, Germany

ABSTRACT

LÜDERITZ, O. (Max-Planck-Institut für Immunbiologie, Frieburg, Germany), H. J. RISSE, H. SCHULTE-HOLTHAUSEN, J. L. STROMINGER, I. W. SUTHERLAND, AND O. WESTPHAL. Biochemical studies of the smooth-rough mutation in Salmonella minnesota. J. Bacteriol. 89:343–354. 1965.—A comparative study of the O antigen from the smooth strain of Salmonella minnesota and of the two R antigens derived from two rough forms of S. minnesota (strains R 60 and R 345) has been carried out. The O-specific polysaccharide of the smooth form is composed of heptose, galactose, glucose, glucosamine, galactosamine, and ketodeoxyoctanoate (KDO). R 60 polysaccharide contains KDO, heptose, galactose, glucose, and glucosamine, whereas the R 345 polysaccharide contains only KDO, heptose, galactose, and glucose. Serologically, R 345 and R 60 polysaccharides belong to serogroups R I and R II, respectively. Enzymatic studies revealed that the acetylgalactosamine-synthesizing enzyme, uridine diphosphate-N-acetylglucosamine-4-epimerase, is present in wild-type and R 345 cells but is absent from R 60 cells. Two distinct polysaccharides were obtained from the R 345 cells: a polysaccharide derived from the R antigen (lipopolysaccharide) containing no galactosamine and exerting R specificity, and a soluble polysaccharide containing galactosamine and exerting O specificity. The structure of O and R antigens is discussed, together with the general significance of the results for the biosynthesis of the O antigens of the genus Salmonella.

¹ On leave from the Department of Bacteriology, University of Edinburgh.

² Present address: Department of Pharmacology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison.