CHARACTERIZATION OF THE CAPSULAR ANTIGEN OF STREPTOCOCCUS-PNEUMONIAE SEROTYPE 35B

The specific capsular antigen of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 35B was shown by a combination of 2D NMR methods and mass spectrometric a nd classical carbohydrate chemical techniques to be a high molecular w eight polymer containing D-galactose, D-glucose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D -galactose, and ribitol (2:1:1:1). The pentasaccharide repeating unit is polymerized through phosphate diester linkages to give the structur e, [GRAPHICS] Seventy percent of the beta-D-Gal(f) residues glycosidic ally linked to the ribitol units carry an O-acetyl substituent.