Purification and immunochemical characterization of Streptococcus sanguis ATCC 10557 serotype II carbohydrate antigen

Cell wall carbohydrate antigen of Streptococcus sanguis ATCC 10557 (serotype II/biotype B) was extracted from purified cell walls by treatment with 5% trichloroacetic acid at 4 degrees C for 8 h. The extract was purified by chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-25 and Sephadex G-100 columns. The purified carbohydrate antigen produced a single precipitin band against anti-type II serum, which fused with the band produced by the autoclaved extract or the phenol-water extract of the S. sanguis cells. The type II antigen was a polysaccharide composed of glucose, galactose, rhamnose, and N-acetylgalactosamine in a molar ratio of approximately 3:6:3:2. Quantitative precipitin inhibition tests with various haptenic sugars indicated that N-acetylgalactosamine was a major determinant of the type II antigen.