title: Exopolysaccharides produced by clinical strains belonging to the Burkholderia cepacia complex.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the frame of a research line dedicated to better clarify the role of exopolysaccharides (EPS) in bacterial virulence, EPS produced by species of the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc), namely Burkholderia multivorans, Burkholderia cenocepacia, and a Bcc member of undetermined genomovar, all isolated at the Cystic Fibrosis Regional Centre of Florence (Italy), were investigated for they structural properties.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three strains of B. multivorans, three of B. cenocepacia and one of a Bcc member of undetermined genomovar were isolated from CF patients. The reference strains C1576 and J2315, for genomovar II and III, respectively, were included in the study. The bacteria were grown on solid media, the exopolysaccharides produced were purified, and their structures were determined. In addition, sugar analysis of sputum samples was accomplished to search for EPS produced in vivo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six strains out of seven produced the exopolysaccharide cepacian, while one strain of B. multivorans produced a completely different polymer, previously known in the literature as PS1. Two strains synthesised very small amounts of EPS. No definitive evidence for the presence of cepacian in sputum samples was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most strains examined produced abundant amounts of polysaccharides. Cepacian was the most common EPS isolated and its production was not associated to a particular genomovar.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biochimica, Biofisica e Chimica delle Macromolecole, Università di Trieste, I-34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Yury
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Herasimenka
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cescutti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Impallomeni
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Campana
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Taccetti
authors.forename: Novella
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ravenni
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zanetti
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizzo
mesh_terms: D019121:Burkholderia Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D016956:Burkholderia cepacia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D042602:Burkholderia cepacia complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial