title: Production and degradation of serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis polysaccharide.
abstract: Polysaccharide produced from cultures of serogroups A, B, and C Neisseria meningitidis was assayed by the serogroup-specific hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) test. The polysaccharide produced by all serogroups was found to increase during the exponential phase of growth. For serogroups A and C, the HAI activity was stable during the stationary phase; for serogroup B, however, the HAI decayed rapidly. The degradation of the serogroup B polysaccharide was not caused by enzymatic degradation, but was due to acid accumulation in the culture medium. The large-molecular-size serogroup B polysaccharide was stabilized by increasing the buffering capacity of the medium, which also increased the yield of this antigen.
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002021:Buffers; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D003470:Culture Media; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology*; D009438:Neuraminic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000378:metabolism; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D002021:Buffers; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D003470:Culture Media; D009438:Neuraminic Acids; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D009439:Neuraminidase