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Composition of the Capsular and Extracellular Polysaccharides of Rhizobium japonicum

CHANGES WITH CULTURE AGE AND CORRELATIONS WITH BINDING OF SOYBEAN SEED LECTIN TO THE BACTERIA ¹, ^,2

Charles F. Kettering Research Laboratory, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387

The chemical compositions of the capsular and extracellular polysaccharides of two strains of Rhizobium japonicum (311b 138 and 110) have been determined and correlated as a function of culture age with the ability of the bacteria from which they were obtained to bind soybean seed lectin.

Each of the polysaccharides contains approximately constant amounts of mannosyl, glucosyl, and galacturonosyl residues in a molar ratio of 1:2:1. In addition they contain variable amounts of galactosyl and 4-O-methyl galactosyl residues. The total of galactose plus 4-O-methyl galactose, however, is constant and equivalent to the amount of mannose, indicating that the 4-O-methyl galactose residues arise by methylation of galactose residues in the polysaccharides. In both strains the proportion of galactose to methyl galactose is considerably greater in the polysaccharide from bacteria which do bind lectin than in the polysaccharide from bacteria which do not bind lectin.

In addition to the changes in polysaccharide composition, there is a reduction of about 50% in the percentage of cells which are encapsulated as the cultures mature from early to late log phase. Since only capsulated cells bind lectin, the combination of the change in capsular composition and loss of encapsulation is probably sufficient to account for the loss of lectin binding capacity during growth of cultures of Rhizobium japonicum 311b 138 and 110.

¹ Supported in part by United States Department of Agriculture Grant 78-00783.

² Contribution No. 705 of the Charles F. Kettering Research Laboratory.

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