Chemical and serological characterization of the Bordetella hinzii lipopolysaccharides

Bordetella hinzii has recently been isolated from immunocompromised human hosts. The polysaccharides isolated from its endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) were investigated using chemical analyses, NMR, gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and mass spectrometry by plasma desorption, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization and electrospray. The following structure for the O-chain-free LPS was deduced from the experimental results: Mass spectrometry and serology revealed that the O-chains were different from the homopolymer common to Bordetella bronchiseptica and Bordetella parapertussis strains and were composed of a trisaccharide repeating unit. Masses up to 8 kDa were obtained for native LPS molecular species.