The lipopolysaccharide of Escherichin coil O156 was degraded under mild acidic and alkaline conditions and the resulting polysaccharides were studied by sugar analysis and H-1 and C-13 NMR spectroscopy. The following structure of the pentasaccharide repeating unit of the O-polysaccharide was established: 4)-alpha-L-Fucp-(1>6)-alpha-D-Galp-(1>3)-alpha-L-fucp-(1>3)-beta-D-GlcpnAc-(1 3 1 alpha-D-Galp4,6Rpyr where Rpyr indicates R-configurated pyruvic acid acetal. Minor O-acetyl groups also were present and tentatively localized on the Gal residues. The gene cluster for biosynthesis of the O-antigen of E. coil 0156 was analyzed and shown to be consistent with the O-polysaccharide structure. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.