Modeling of the structure in aqueous solution of the exopolysaccharide produced by Lactobacillus helveticus 766

Conformational analysis of the neutral exopolysaccharide produced by Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus LBB.B26

The conformational properties of the neutral exopolysaccharide produced by Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus LBB.B26 have been studied by NMR measurements and molecular modelling. The exopolysaccharide, with an average molecular mass of 1.3 x 10(6) Da, was previously determined to consist of pentasaccharide repeating units with the following structure: -->3)-beta-D-Galp-(1-->4)-beta-D-Glcp-(1-->3)-beta-d-Galf-(1-->3)-[alpha-D-Glcp-(1-->6)-]alpha-D-Galp-(1-->. Adiabatic maps were generated for each of the disaccharide fragments in the repeating unit. In addition, free energy maps calculated from MD simulations were obtained for each of the glycosidic linkages in an extended repeating unit and the influence of the Galf residue on the conformational properties of the repeating unit was investigated. The values of the global energy minima provided by the free energy maps were used to build a polymer chain. The polysaccharide was shown to have a random coil structure, without stable extended helical motifs.

Conformational analysis in aqueous solution and estimation of the persistence length of exopolysaccharides produced by Lactobacillus helveticus Lh59 and Streptococcus macedonicus Sc136

The conformations of two exopolysaccharides, one produced by Lactobacillus helveticus Lh59 and one by Streptococcus macedonicus Sc136, were investigated by molecular modelling to get insight into their physical properties. In particular, the influence of side chains and glycosidic linkage types on the overall shapes and persistence lengths of the polysaccharides were studied. It appeared that the side chains had only minor effects on the persistence lengths of the polysaccharides, with the exception of the monosaccharide residue directly attached to the backbone. The extensiveness of the backbone is enhanced by β-D-Hexp-(1→4) structural elements, whereas α-D-Hexp-(1→3) and α-D-Hexp-(1→4) elements create structural variability by introducing bends. The occurrence of either (1→5)- or (1→6)-linked monosaccharides, resulting in one extra bond between monosaccharide units, causes the overall flexibility of the polysaccharide chain to be enhanced and extensiveness to be reduced. The presence of such flexible linkages in the backbone leads to a shorter persistence length than when present in the side chain: a value of only 4.5 nm was found for the L. helveticus Lh59 EPS with a (1→5) linkage in the backbone, and a value of 8.5 nm for the S. macedonicus Sc136 EPS with two (1→6) linkages in the side chain.Key words: conformational analysis, exopolysaccharide, Lactobacillus helveticus, molecular modelling, persistence length, Streptococcus macedonicus.

Dynamics of the Escherichia coli O91 O-Antigen Polysaccharide in Solution as Studied by Carbon-13 NMR Relaxation

The dynamics of the O-antigen part of the lipopolysaccharide from the enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O91 has been determined in solution using (13)C NMR relaxation measurements at two magnetic field strengths, 9.4 and 14.1 T, thereby facilitating the testing of several dynamical models. The biological repeating unit, consisting of five sugar residues and substituents, could be determined by spectral analysis of different (1)H,(13)C correlations and corroborated by the relaxation data. The site specifically (13)C-labeled material was shown to have approximately 10 repeating units with a narrow distribution. A model-free analysis of the relaxation data revealed a complex dynamical behavior where the sugar residues could be described by a global correlation time (tau(m) = 5.4 ns), generalized order parameters (S(2) approximately 0.63), and different correlation times for internal motions related to their position in the repeating unit along the polymer (tau(e) approximately 360-520 ps). One of the sugar residues showed, in addition, a chemical exchange contribution. Furthermore, a substituent on another sugar residue was described by two order parameters (S(f)(2) = 0.51 and S(s)(2) = 0.21). The solution dynamics of the polysaccharide are thus described by highly intricate motions, both in amplitude and time scales. These results are of significance in the general description of polysaccharides surrounding bacterial cell surfaces and in the presentation of antigenic epitopes to the immune system of an invaded host.

Exopolysaccharides from lactic acid bacteria: perspectives and challenges

Some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) secrete a polysaccharide polymer. This extracellular polysaccharide, or "exopolysaccharide" (EPS), is economically important because it can impart functional effects to foods and confer beneficial health effects. LAB have a "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS) classification and are likely candidates for the production of functional EPSs. Current challenges are to improve the productivity of EPSs from LAB and to produce EPSs of a structure and size that impart the desired functionality. The engineering of improvements in these properties will depend on a deep understanding of the EPS biosynthetic metabolism and of how the structure of EPSs relates to a functional effect when incorporated into a food matrix.