Lipopolysaccharides from Pseudomonas aeruginosa 01 (Lhnyi classification), 0 3 (Habs classification), 0 1 3 and 014 (Wokatsch classification), and strain NCTC 8505, which is also related to serogroup 0 3 (Habs), have structurally similar 0-specific polysaccharide chains built up of tetrasaccharide repeating units involving L-rhamnose (Rha), 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-~-glucose (GlcNAc), 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-~-galacturonic acid (GalNAcA), and a di-N-acyl derivative of bacillosamine (BacN): 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-~-glucose or 2-acetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-4-[(S)-3-hydroxybutyramido]-~-glucose. The latter derivative was obtained free by solvolysis with hydrogen fluoride of carboxyl-reduced Habs 0 3 polysaccharide, and was identified by 'H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and by mass spectrometry of the corresponding methylated alditol. Habs 03, Lhnyi 01, and Wokatsch 014 polysaccharides contained 0-acetyl groups.Solvolysis with hydrogen fluoride of the native Habs 0 3 polysaccharide resulted in selective cleavage of the glycosidic linkages of 6-deoxy sugars to give the trisaccharide fragment involving all three N-acylated amino sugars. Similar solvolysis of NCTC 8505 polysaccharide afforded a mixture of disaccharide and trisaccharide with N,N'-diacetylbacillosamine at the reducing end. Smith degradation of Habs 0 3 polysaccharide resulted in selective oxidation of rhamnose to give a glycoside of a trisaccharide with glyceraldehyde as the aglycone. Smith degradation of NCTC 8505 polysaccharide was complicated by the formation of the glycoside of a trisaccharide with an aglycone of unknown structure. A trisaccharide with rhamnose at the reducing end was also isolated after Smith degradation of the latter polysaccharide.Analysis of the composition and structure of all oligosaccharides obtained, and detailed examination of the ' jc-nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of these oligosaccharides, and of both intact and modified