7-O-(2-Amino-2-deoxy-alpha-d-glucopyranosyl) l-glycero-d-manno-heptose. A Constituent of the Endotoxin of Bordetella pertussis

Abstract

Hydrolysis of the Bordetella pertussis endotoxin, extracted from both ‘phase I’ and ‘phase IV’ bacteria, with 4 M HCL for 1 h at 100°C, released the disaccharide named in the title; it was isolated by paper electrophoresis or by ion‐exchange chromatography in about 1 % yield (w/w). The structure of the heptose could be rigorously established by chemical degradation; the facts that the glucosaminidic linkage was hydrolysed by an enzyme preparation containing both, α and β‐N‐acetylglucosaminidase activities, whereas it was resistant to cleavage by pure β‐N‐acetyl‐glucosaminidase strongly support the assumption that the disaccharide contains an α‐d‐glucosaminide linkage.