STRUCTURE OF THE EXTRACELLULAR POLYSACCHARIDE PRODUCED BY XANTHOMONAS ORYZAE

The extracellular polysaccharide isolated from cultures of Xanthomonas oryzae is composed of D -glucose (5 molecular proportions), D -glucuronic acid (2 molecular proportions), and D -mannose (5 molecular proportions). Acid hydrolysis of this polysaccharide, which contains 0.3% combined pyruvic acid, yields 2-O-β- D -glucopyranosyluronic acid D -mannose, which has been characterized as its crystalline fully methylated β-glycoside. Hydrolysis of the methylated polysaccharide gives 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-methyl- D -mannose (3 molecular proportions), 2,3,4-tri-O-methyl- D -glucuronic acid (1 molecular proportion), 2,3,6-tri-O-methyl- D -glucose (4 molecular proportions), 3,4,6-tri-O-methyl- D -mannose (2 molecular proportions), 2,6-di-O-methyl- D -glucose (3 molecular proportions), 2,3-di-O-methyl- D -glucose (1 molecular proportion). The polyalcohol derived from the polysaccharide by periodate oxidation followed by sodium borohydride reduction gives upon acid hydrolysis glycerol (2 molecular proportions), erythritol (1 molecular proportion), and D -glucose (1 molecular proportion). The general structural significance of these findings is discussed.