Physicochemical Properties of Neisseria meningitidis Group X Polysaccharide Antigen |
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| Authors: | M. A. Apicella and John A. Robinson |
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| Affiliation: | 1.Department of Medicine, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14215;2.Department of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois 60612 |
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| Abstract: | Neisseria meningitidis group X occurs in human carrier populations and is rarely implicated in serious disease. This organism possesses a capsular group antigen which is an acidic polysaccharide. It is composed of the amino sugars, glucosamine, glucosamine-6-phosphate, galactosamine, and the simple hexose, glucose. The group X capsular antigen has an S20,w0 of 3.6, and the acidic nature of the polysaccharide is reflected in an isoelectric point of 3.65. The meningococcal A, B, C, and Y polysaccharide group antigens are also composed primarily of amino sugars. The chemical composition of the group X antigen most closely resembles the capsular antigen of N. meningitidis group Y, which is also predominately a carrier organism. |
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