The O-specific polysaccharide, obtained by mild acid degradation of Citrobacter O16 lipopolysaccharide, consists of D-glucose, D-galactose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose, glycerol and phosphate in the ratios 2:2:2:1:1. Selective cleavage of the polysaccharide was carried out by Smith degradation, N-deacetylation-deamination and dephosphorylation with 48% hydrofluoric acid, which was accompanied by unexpected splitting of one of the glycosidic linkages. The structures of the oligosaccharides thus obtained were established using 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, including one-dimensional NOE, two-dimensional rotating-frame NOE, homonuclear and heteronuclear 13C, 1H correlation spectroscopy, and, for the Smith degradation product, positive- and negative-ion-mode fast-atom-bombardment MS and MS/MS with collision-induced dissociation. On the basis of these data and the results of methylation analysis, it was concluded that the O-specific polysaccharide has the following repeating unit structure: [formula: see text]