Glycan structure of the S-layer glycoprotein of Bacillus sp. L420-91

Preliminary taxonomic characterization of isolate L420-91 has revealed that this organism is closely related to the species Bacillus aneurinolyticus. The bacterium is covered by a squarely arranged crystalline surface layer composed of identical glycoprotein subunits with an apparent molecular mass in the range of 109 kDa. A total carbohydrate content of approximately 3.5% (wt/wt) was determined in the purified surface layer glycoprotein. Glycopeptides were obtained after exhaustive Pronase digestion and purification including gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography and HPLC. From the combined evidence of composition analysis. Smith degradation and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy experiments we propose the following structure for the glycan chain of the surface layer glycoprotein: [formula: see text]