CELL-WALL COMPOSITION AND THE GROUPING ANTIGENS OF STREPTOCOCCI

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Slade, Hutton D. (Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Ill.) and William C. Slamp. Cell-wall composition and grouping antigens of streptococci. J. Bacteriol. 84:345–351. 1962.—The carbohydrates present in the cell walls of streptococci belonging to serological groups A–H and K–S, and unclassifiable strains, have been identified. The sugars found were rhamnose, glucose, galactose, arabinose, and mannose. All sugars vary considerably in their distribution among the groups; glucose, galactose, and rhamnose occur most frequently. Strains were found which contained each of the latter sugars singly or in combination with one or both of the other sugars. Variation within a single group occurred in one-half of the groups. A strain containing only glucose and another only galactose were found. Except for groups A and C, in which only rhamnose is present in the great majority of strains, the presence or absence of the sugars does not aid in the identification of the groups. The cell walls of all groups examined also contained alanine, glutamic acid, lysine, glucosamine, galactosamine, and muramic acid. The cell walls of all groups, except D, agglutinated in the presence of specific group antisera, indicating the presence of the group antigen in the cell wall. Strains in groups F, K, and M gave a weak reaction. The structure and chemical composition of the group antigens of the streptococci are discussed.

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