Flexibacter maritimus, a Gram-negative bacterium, is a fish pathogenresponsible fordisease infinfishspecies andacause of cutaneous erosiondisease in sea-caged salmonids. For the development of serology based diagnostics, protective vac-cines, and a study of pathogenesis, the structural analysis of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) producedby the bacteriumhas been undertaken. We now report that an acidic O-specific polysaccharide, obtained by mild acid degradation of the F. maritimusLPSwas found to be composed of a disac-.
