Structure of the Klebsiella type 10 capsular polysaccharide

The capsular polysaccharide from Klebsiella Type 10 was found to contain D-galactose, D-glucose, D-mannose, and D-glucuronic acid in the ratios 3:1:1:1. Acid hydrolysis of the polysaccharide gave one aldobiouronic acid, one aldotriouronic acid, one aldotetraouronic acid, and two neutral disaccharides the structures of which were established. The native and carboxyl-reduced polysaccharide have been subjected as appropriate to methylation analysis and Smith degradation. Degradation of the methylated polysaccharide with base established the identity of the sugar unit preceding the glucosyluronic acid residue. The anomeric configurations of the sugar residues were determined by oxidation of the acetylated native and carboxyl-reduced polysaccharides with chromium trioxide. Based on these studies, the hexasaccharide structure 1 has been assigned to the repeating unit of the K-10 polysaccharide.