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Teichoic acids from the cell walls of marine bacilli Bacillus subtilis CMM (Collection of Marine Microorganisms) 234 (R-1) and B. licheniformis CMM 454 (1-1G-2) were isolated and characterized. These teichoic acids were found to have identical structures and are composed of the glucose, ribitol, and phosphoric acid residues. On the basis of 13C NMR and 31P NMR spectra of the teichoic acids and the products of their dephosphorylation, we established the following structure for the biopolymer: poly[-->5)-4-O-beta-D-glucopyranosylribitol-(1-phospho].

The O-specific polysaccharide was isolated from Yersinia mollaretii strain WS 42/89 and characterized. Studies of the partial hydrolysis and methylation products and the 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy data enabled the following structure to be proposed for the repeating unit of the polysaccharide: -->2)-beta-D-Galp-(1-->3)-alpha-D-6dGulp-(1--> The same structure was ascribed to the O-specific polysaccharide from Yersinia enterocolitica serovar O:6.31. The difference between these two O-antigens from various Yersinia species is in the absence of D-glycero-D-manno-heptose residues in the structure of the lipopolysaccharide from Y. mollaretii.

An O-specific polysaccharide has been isolated on mild acid hydrolysis of lipopolysaccharide from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis serovar IIc and shown to consist of abequose, D-mannose and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose residues in the ratio 0.8:3:1. From the results of acid hydrolysis, 13C NMR, methylation and periodate oxidation studies the structure of the repeating unit of the O-specific polysaccharide is deduced as follows: (formula; see text)