Structural studies of the putative O-specific polysaccharide of Serratia marcescens O9

A polymeric fraction containing the putative O-antigen has been isolated from the lipopolysaccharide of the reference strain (CDC 4534-60) for serogroup O9 of Serratia marcescens. The major component of the fraction was a polymer with a disaccharide repeating-unit of L-rhamnose (Rha) and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose (GalNAc) with the following structure:----3)D-GalpNAc(beta 1----3)L-Rhap(alpha 1----. Evidence for the presence in the fraction of a similar, minor polymer containing 4-substituted rhamnose residues was provided by the NMR spectra, methylation analysis, and Smith degradation.