Structural and Immunological Insights into the Lipooligosaccharide of the Marine Bacterium Kangiella japonica KMM 3897

The lipooligosaccharide (LOS) of the marine bacterium Kangiella japonica KMM 3897 was structurally characterized using chemical analysis, NMR spectroscopy, and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The oligosaccharide core consists of a monophosphorylated trisaccharide containing 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucose, D-glycero-D-manno-heptose, and 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid. The penta-acylated lipid A moiety features a glucosamine disaccharide backbone with phosphate groups and amide- and ester-linked primary fatty acids [i11:0 (3-OH)], along with a secondary acyl chain (i11:0 or 11:0). Immunostimulatory assays revealed that K. japonica KMM 3897 LOS induced significantly weaker cytokine production in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) compared with E. coli LPS. Notably, it exhibited potent antagonistic activity against E. coli LPS-mediated toxicity and suppressed caspase-4 activation in LPS-treated PBMCs. These findings highlight its anti-inflammatory and protective properties.