DETERMINATION OF SPECIFICITIES OF RABBIT ANTISERA AGAINST THE O-ANTIGENIC POLYSACCHARIDE FROM ESCHERICHIA-COLI O126

Rabbit polyclonal antibodies against the lipopolysaccharide of Escheri chia coli O126 were serologically characterized by ELISA. The antibody specificities were determined by studying the inhibitory effects of t he methyl glycosides of both anomeric configurations of the constituen t monosaccharides and the oligosaccharides derived from the O-antigeni c polysaccharide of E. coli O126. It was found that, amongst the monos accharides, beta-D-N-acetyl glucosamine was the most effective inhibit ory sugar in the O126 polysaccharide and the major specificity of the polyclonal antibodies was found to be directed against the trisacchari de having the structure alpha-D-Gal p (1 --> 3)-beta-D-Glc p NAc(1 --> 2)-D-Man p.