Structural Studies of the Shigella flexneri Variant X, Type 5a and Type 5b O-Antigens

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Abstract
Previous studies of different Shigella flexneri O-antigens indicate that their O-specific region is composed of oligosaccharide repeating units containing a basic tetrasaccharide structure, to which α-d-glucopyranosyl groups and O-acetyl groups may be attached to different positions. Structural studies of O-antigens from variant X, type 5a and type 5b lend further support to this assumption. These antigens contain terminal α-d-glucopyranosyl groups, one each per repeating unit in X and 5a, two in 5b. The location of these groups in the repeating unit has been determined.