Structural studies of the major polysaccharide in the cell wall of Renibacterium salmoninarum

The galactose-rich polysaccharide (GPS) in the cell wall of the Gram-positive bacterium Renibacterium salmoninarum, the causative agent of bacterial kidney disease (BKD) of salmonids, has been studied by sugar and methylation analysis, partial acid hydrolysis, Smith degradation, FABMS, and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The data show that the GPS has a