Immunochemical and structural characterization of a serotype-specific polysaccharide antigen from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Y4 (serotype b)

Infect Immun. 1989 Oct;57(10):2942-6. doi: 10.1128/iai.57.10.2942-2946.1989.

Abstract

A serotype-specific polysaccharide antigen of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Y4 (serotype b) was extracted from whole cells by autoclaving. The extract was purified by chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-25 and Sephacryl S-300 columns. The purified polysaccharide antigen formed a single precipitin line with anti-type b serum but not with anti-type a serum and anti-type c serum. The antigen was composed of 43.9% L-rhamnose, 49.1% D-fucose, and a trace amount of fatty acid. Methylation analysis, Smith degradation, and optical rotation data showed that the antigen was a polymer consisting of a disaccharide repeating unit, ----3)-alpha-D-fucopyranosyl-(1----2)-beta-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1----. In quantitative precipitin inhibition tests, D-fucose and L-rhamnose showed very low inhibition, but the partial hydrolysate of the purified antigen was an effective inhibitor, suggesting that the serotype b specific antiserum recognizes the larger oligosaccharide units.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actinobacillus / immunology*
  • Antigens, Bacterial / analysis*
  • Carbohydrate Conformation
  • Chromatography, Ion Exchange
  • Epitopes / analysis*
  • Immunodiffusion
  • Molecular Structure
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial / analysis*
  • Precipitin Tests
  • Serotyping

Substances

  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • Epitopes
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial