Production and specificity of antibodies to streptococci in the Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stoutii.

Specific antibody activity at high levels to group A streptococcal carbohydrate was detected by radioimmunoassay in the sera of certain hagfish immunized with streptococcal whole cells. Antigen binding activity could be depleted by absorption of immune serum with streptococcal cells but not with sheep erythrocytes. Sugar inhibition studies indicated that rhanmose was the immunodominant sugar recognized in the A carbohydrate by hagfish antibody. This was in contrast to previous identification of N-acetylglucosamine as the immunodominant sugar recognized by antibodies from mammalian species.