A unique tetrasaccharide-containing anchor glycolipid of lipoteichoic acid is commonly found in <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> and <i>Lactobacillus paragasseri</i>

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is a cell surface molecule with physiologically important roles in Gram-positive bacteria. Previously, we identified a novel tetrasaccharide-containing anchor glycolipid in the Lactobacillus gasseri JCM 1131T LTA. However, it is unclear whether this tetrasaccharide-containing anchor glycolipid structure is characteristic of JCM 1131T alone or is commonly found in other L. gasseri-related isolates. Lactobacillus paragasseri has been proposed as a new species, separated from the L. gasseri. In the present study, we characterized the chemical structures of LTA from 2 strains of L. gasseri and 4 strains of L. paragasseri. All 6 strains shared a polymer comprising repeating units of glycerophosphate with partial D-alanine substitutions, as well as L. gasseri JCM 1131T. Anchor glycolipid structure suggested that all strains shared a tetrasaccharide-containing glyceroglycolipid with 2 and 3 acyl groups. Focusing on LTA from L. gasseri and L. paragasseri species, a tetrasaccharide-containing anchor glycolipid is a specific feature.