Modeling Diversity in Structures of Bacterial Outer Membrane Lipids.

Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) are vital components of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, and they act as extremely strong stimulators of innate immunity in diverse eukaryotic species. The primary immunostimulatory center of the LPS molecule is lipid A, a disaccharide-bound lipophilic domain. Considering the broad diversity in bacterial species, there are variations in the lipid A structures and their immunogenic potencies.