title: Macromolecular and solution properties of Cepacian: the exopolysaccharide produced by a strain of Burkholderia cepacia isolated from a cystic fibrosis patient.
abstract: Light scattering and viscosity measurements were carried out on the previously chemically characterised exopolysaccharide produced by a strain of Burkholderia cepacia isolated from a cystic fibrosis patient. The same exopolysaccharide was also produced by other clinical strains in different laboratories. Therefore, the name Cepacian is now proposed for this exopolysaccharide. Experiments performed as a function of the ionic strength on the native polymer revealed a change in the overall shape of the polymer at low ionic strength. This behaviour was absent in the de-acetylated sample. Potentiometric titrations and light scattering experiments carried out on the acidic form of the native polymer revealed the formation of macromolecular aggregates with a stoichiometry n and 2n stabilised by interactions involving the uronic acid residues.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biochimica, Biofisica e Chimica delle Macromolecole, Università di Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, I-34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sist
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cescutti
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Skerlavaj
authors.forename: Ranieri
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Urbani
authors.forename: Jorge H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Leitão
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sá-Correia
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizzo
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000737:chemistry; D016956:Burkholderia cepacia / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D002236:Carbohydrate Conformation; D002704:Chlorates / Q000737:chemistry; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature; D017186:Titrimetry; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D002704:Chlorates; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; C487212:cepacian; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide; C032706:sodium chlorate