Micromethods for lipid A isolation and structural characterization.

摘要: Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) are major components of the external membrane Gram-negative bacteria, and act as an effective permeability barrier. They essentially composed a hydrophilic polysaccharide region linked to hydrophobic one, termed lipid A. Depending on their individual variable fine structures, they may be potent immunomodulators. Because structural importance role A in bacterial pathogenesis, herein we describe two rapid practical micromethods for analysis. The first method allows direct isolation from whole bacteria cell mass; second describes conditions sequential release fatty acids, enabling determination substitution position structure determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. Examples given with reference pathogens: Bordetella pertussis Pseudomonas aeruginosa.