title: Sialic acid-containing polysaccharides of Neisseria meningitidis and Escherichia coli strain Bos-12: structure and immunology.
abstract: A polysaccharide antigenically related to that of group C Neisseria meningitidis was isolated from Escherichia coli strain Bos-12 (O48: K91:NM). Like the polysaccharides of groups B and CN. meningitidis, the Bos-12 antigen was shown to be a pure polymer of sialic acid. The 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance studies of the groups B and C polysaccharides indicated that the former consists of units of sialic acid joined in alpha-2 leads to 8 linkages, whereas the latter contains sialic acid residues linked by alpha-2 leads to 9 glycosidic bonds. Chemical and nuclear magnetic resonance studies of the polysaccharide of E. coli strain Bos-12 established that it is a heteropolymer containing both alpha-2 leads to 8 and alpha-2 leads to 9 linkages. Physical parameters including partial specific volume, reduced viscosity, diffusion and sedimentation coefficients, shape, weight-average molecular weight, and the Stokes radius of the polysaccharides of groups A, B, and C N. meningitidis have been determined. The results indicate that the polysaccharides are highly asymmetric and exist in solution as rigid rods; aggregates are formed by the association of these rods. The polysaccharides appear to have "restricted" length.
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000032:analysis*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D012794:Sialic Acids