Chemical characterization of a new surface antigenic polysaccharide from a mutant of Staphylococcus aureus
Wu, T.C.; Park, J.T.
Journal of Bacteriology 108(2): 874-884
1971
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-9193 PMID: 5001874 Accession: 042518222
A mutant of Staphylococcus aureus H was isolated by virtue of its inability to agglutinate with antibodies against teichoic acid of S. aureus. Immunological studies revealed that the mutant, S. aureus T, possessed a new surface antigen in addition to having the antigenic determinant of the wild-type strain, the ribitol teichoic acid. The presence of this additional surface component rendered strain T resistant to staphylococcal typing phages, presumably by masking the phage-receptor sites. The polymer was separated from teichoic acid by chromatography on diethylaminoethyl cellulose and was shown to be composed of two amino sugars, N-acetyl-d-fucosamine and N-acetyl-d-mannosamin uronic acid.