Structural investigation of the capsular polysaccharide of klebsiella serotype K58

Klebsiella K58 capsular polysaccharide has been investigated by the techniques of methylation, Smith degradation-periodate oxidation, uronic acid degradation, and partial hydrolysis, in conjunction with ¹H-n.m.r. spectroscopy at 100 and 220 MHz, and ¹³C-n.m.r. spectroscopy at 20 MHz. The structure has been found to consist of the tetrasaccharide repeating-unit shown, with one O-acetyl group per repeating unit. A uronic acid residue bearing a 1-carboxyethylidene group has previously been found, in this series, only in the polysaccharide from Klebsiella K1. (Figure presented.)