Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are components of the cell walls of Gram-negative bacteria. LPS is composed of polysaccharides and lipid A, where lipid A is a phosphoglycolipid containing acyl chains composed of 10 to 16 carbons. The lipid A component of LPS is detected by Toll-like receptor 4 of mammalian leukocytes and, thus, is a key determinant in immune response. (R)-3-Hydroxymyristic Acid is a form of the 14:0 lipid myristic acid that is found in the lipid A component of some Gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia, Haemophilus, Actinobacillus, and Campylobacter species.
