Studies of Streptococcal Cell Walls VII. Carbohydrate Composition of Group B Cell Walls

Wittner, Masako K. (Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital, Chicago, Ill.),and James A. Hayashi . Studies of streptococcal cell walls. VII. Carbohydrate composition of group B cell walls. J. Bacteriol.89: 398–402. 1965.—Group B streptococcal cell walls contain 63% protein, 10% rhamnose, 18% hexose (mainly galactose, but also some glucose), 7% hexosamine (mainly glucosamine, but also galactosamine), and 3% muramic acid. The group and type antigens were extracted from isolated cell walls by acid treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis, and fractionated either with ethanol or on a diethylaminoethyl-cellulose column. Serological and chemical analyses of the fractions obtained in the two fractionation methods show that the group antigen is a rhamnose-rich polysaccharide and that the type antigen is rich in galactose and contains hexosamines.