Structural studies on the oligosaccharide moiety of the lipopeptidophosphoglycan from <em>Trypanosoma cruzi</em>.

The structure of the carbohydrate moiety of the lipopeptidophosphoglycan from Trypanosoma cruzi was studied by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and by methylation analysis of the original and of an acid-degraded sample. An oligosaccharide, consisting of 2-O-substituted and 6-O-substituted mannoses, which is linked to the ceramide, was separated by partial acid hydrolysis from an external chain that contained 3-O-substituted mannopyranosyl residues. β-D-Galactofuranosyl terminal units are attached to position 3 of (1 → 2)-linked mannopyranose. Besides the previously reported monosaccharide components (mannose, galactose, glucose and glucosamine), ribose was identified in a partial acid hydrolysate of the lipopeptidophosphoglycan. The last three sugars are minor components and their oganization into the overall structure of the lipopeptidophosphoglycan has not been determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]