The structure of the exopolysaccharide produced by the halophilic Archaeon Haloferax mediterranei strain R4 (ATCC 33500)

The halophilic Archaeon, Haloferax mediterranei exudes into the growth medium a high molecular weight sulfated polysaccharide. The structure of the repeating unit of this polymer was determined by a combination of glycose, methylation, and sulfate analysis, periodate oxidation, and 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis of the native and periodate-oxidised polysaccharides. The location of the sulfate group was established from the 1H and 13C NMR data. The structure of the repeating unit of the polysaccharide may be written as →4)-β-D-GlcpNAcA-(1→6)-α-D-Manp-(1→4)-β-D-GlcpNAcA-3-O-SO3--(1→.