O-Specific polysaccharide was obtained by mild acid degradation of Proteus penneri strain 16 lipopolysaccharide and found to contain D-glucose, D-glucuronic acid, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, and 3,6-dideoxy-3-[(R)-3-hydroxybutyramido]- D-galactose in the ratio of 2:1:1:1 as well as a small proportion of O-acetyl groups. On the basis of one-dimensional 1H-NMR13C-NMR and NOE spectroscopy, two-dimensional homonuclear-shift-correlated spectroscopy with one-step and two-step relayed coherence transfer and heteronuclear 1H/13C NMR shift-correlated spectroscopy, it was concluded that the O-specific polysaccharide of P. penneri strain 16 has the following structure: (formula; see text) This structure was confirmed by methylation analysis and structural analysis of a linear tetrasaccharide fragment prepared by cleavage of the polysaccharide with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride followed by conversion of the alpha-tetrosyl fluoride obtained in to the corresponding free oligosaccharide and alditol. O-Acetyl groups were tentatively located at position 3 of the glucuronic acid residue and at position 4 of the 6-substituted glucose residue, the degree of acetylation being less than 20% of the total. Cross-reactions of P. penneri strain 16 anti-(O-specific polysaccharide) antiserum with lipopolysaccharides from several other Proteus strains and the role of 3,6-dideoxy-3-(R)-3-hydroxybutyramido-D-galactose in the serological specificity of P. penneri strain 16 are discussed.