Talk:Lipopolysaccharide

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[edit] Re: article

Would it be possible for someone to add a picture showing the chemical structure of LPS?? That would be very helpful in understanding the structure of this molecule.

Thank you. --LowLifer 00:53, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Merge

I am not convinced that these articles should be merged, LPS is not synonymous with endotoxin, LPS is merely one of many molecules that protrude from the surface of a bacterium. It is true that in clinically important bacteria it elicits an immune response, but in other situations the interactions are quite different. For example in rhizobia--legume symbiosis LPS on rhizobia is one of the determinants of host range. Onco_p53 05:55, 18 March 2006 (UTC)

I have changed my mind, go a head and merge, but have endotoxin as the redirect and I will write something about non-clinical interactions. Onco_p53 06:02, 18 March 2006 (UTC)

I am in aggreement with the start of the former article. Do not merge the articles, is endotoxins require usage of lipopolysaccharides then add it but keep this stub here. (User: Descardo)

I agree with Descardo. Do not merge the two articles as some will search for LPS independently of endotoxin and will be happy to read LPS info without being overwhelmed by tomes regarding endotoxin.

Agree. People search online often because systemetic study is not affordable at that moment. And we don't need to understand "endotoxin" to understand LPS, right?

LPS has a chemical meaning that is distinct from endotoxin. The word endotoxin generally refers to toxins that cannot be separated from the bacterial cell; for example, Bacillus thuringiensis has an endotoxin that is used in biological insecticides but is a protein, completely unrelated to LPS. The word endotoxin has been used as shorthand for LPS but this comes from the days when we did not understand that there could be many types of endotoxin.

To add on the last point: the delta endotoxin on B.thuringiensis is called endotoxin because: 1) the broad classical meaning of "endotoxin" is a toxin which unlike exotoxins is not secreted by live bacteria, but is a structural component of the bacteria which is released mainly when bacteria are lysed. 2) B thuringiensis delta endotoxins are crystal like inclusion bodies, not even on the surface of the bacteria like the LPS which is sticking out the sugary part from the outer membrane. So I donot agree that endotoxin should be merged. LPS is the prototype example of endotoxin. But there are many other endotoxins of different nature, location, and function!

(I further add from stedman's dictionary:

"endotoxin

1. A bacterial toxin not freely liberated into the surrounding medium, in contrast to exotoxin. 2. The complex phospholipid-polysaccharide macromolecules that form an integral part of the cell wall of a variety of relatively avirulent as well as virulent strains of Gram-negative bacteria. The toxins are relatively heat-stable, are less potent than most exotoxins, are less specific, and do not form toxoids; on injection, they may cause a state of shock and, in smaller doses, fever and leukopenia followed by leukocytosis; they have the capacity of eliciting the Shwartzman and the Sanarelli-Shwartzman phenomena. SYN: intracellular toxin." Dr.saptarshi 21:28, 19 April 2006 (UTC)

For some reason the biological aspect here is neglected. Endotoxins exist but LPS is an essential Structure in Bacteria, and not even the whole LPS is responsible for the toxic activity --81.28.129.97 17:38, 1 June 2006 (UTC)