TOXINS OF MICROORGANISMS

STRUCTURE, FUNCTION, BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF ENDOTOXINS OF GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIA

L.D. Varbanets, N.V. Vinarskaya

Endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides) are the unique molecules of gram-negative bacteria outer membrane. They are characterised by a wide range of biological activity which are determined by their structural peculiarities. As far as the individual components of lipopolysaccharide molecule: O-specific polysaccharide, core oligosaccharide and lipid A consist of high specific components, display a varying biological activity, are under different genetic control and have a various taxonomic significance, each of them enterprets separately. The main attention devotes the structural investigations of lipid A, the endotoxic principle of lipopolysaccharide, and also the mechanism of lipopolysaccharide interaction with cells of host organism.

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