Full NMR assignment, revised structure and biosynthetic analysis for the capsular polysaccharide from Streptococcus...

Upon investigation of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 15F capsular polysaccharide (CPS), we discovered that it had a different phosphorylation substituent, namely glycerol-2-phosphate like the other serogroup 15 CPS rather than the originally reported 0.2 equivalent of phosphate or phosphocholine. Furthermore, we also determined the locations of the two previously unassigned O-acetyl groups present in the repeating unit of the 15F CPS, and carried out full NMR assignments of the 15F as well as 15A CPS. Lastly, a biosynthetic analysis of serotypes 15F and 15A was performed and used to make a prediction for the structure of the recently discovered serotype 15D.