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Characterization of the Surface Antigens of Staphylococcus Aureus, Strain K-93M¹

From the Department of Research Medicine and the Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104

Abstract

Three distinct surface antigens were isolated from the culture filtrate of Staphylococcus aureus, strain K-93M, by a combination of Cetavlon precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography, and gel-filtration. Chemical analysis indicated that the immunologically predominant constituent of the K-93M filtrate material was a glucosaminuronic acid-alanine complex which was chemically analogous to the Smith antigen, the capsule prototype of S. aureus. Immunochemical studies confirmed the structural relationship between the Smith capsule and the glucosaminuronic acid polymers isolated from the K-93M culture filtrate. Quantitative precipitin analysis suggested that glucosaminuronic acid is the immunodominant determinant of this antigen.

Chemical analyses indicated that the second acidic polymer was composed of mannose, galactose and phosphorus; whereas the third polymer was composed of galactose and galacturonic acid. Immunologic studies revealed that both of these polymers were also distinct antigenic polymers.

Footnotes

¹ This work was supported in part by Research Grant No. AI 09929-02, National Institutes of Health.