Staining of O-Specific Polysaccharide Chains of Lipopolysaccharides with Ruthenium Red

• Published in: MICROBIOLOGY and IMMUNOLOGY Vol. 30; no. 8; pp. 743 - 751
• Main Authors: Kuno, Tsuneharu, Naito, Setsuko, Ohta, Michio, Kido, Nobuo, Ito, Hideo, Kato, Nobuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.1986; Center For Academic Publications Japan; Center for Academic Publications Japan
• Subjects: Bacteriological methods and techniques used in bacteriology; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Carbohydrate Conformation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Klebsiella; Klebsiella pneumoniae - analysis; Lipopolysaccharides - analysis; Microbiology; Microscopy, Electron; Ruthenium; Ruthenium Red; Salmonella - analysis; Salmonella minnesota; Species Specificity; Klebsiella; Chain; Smooth form; Salmonella; Rough form; Molecular structure; Polyoside; Transmission electron microscopy; O antigen; Lipopolysaccharide; Bacteria; Mutation; Differentiation; Escherichieae; Klebsielleae; Enterobacteriaceae; Coloration
• ISSN: 0385-5600; 1348-0421
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1986.tb03001.x

S-form lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Klebsiella strain LEN-1 (O3:K1-) and from Salmonella minnesota strain 1114 were positively stained with ruthenium red, whereas R-form LPS from Klebsiella strain LEN-111 (O3-:K1-) and Ra, Rb1, RcP+, Rd1P-, and Re LPS from the respective mutant strains of S. minnesota were not or only faintly stained by such treatment. From these results it was concluded that ruthenium red stains the O-specific polysaccharide chains of LPS. The appearance of stained preparations of S-form LPS suggested that the material responsible for this positive staining corresponded to the surface projections which were seen by the negative staining technique as attached to the ribbon-like structures and spherules of the LPS.