IMMUNOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON BACTERIAL BLOOD GROUP SUBSTANCES

II. SUGAR COMPOSITION OF BACTERIA CONTAINING BLOOD GROUP SUBSTANCES

Abstract

1. In Shigella dysenteriae, containing O(H) substance of lower structure, glucose, rhamnose, and hexosamine, besides galactose, which is considered to be related to heterophile human blood antigen in this strain, were demonstrated. Salmonella poo-na, containing O(H) substance, demonstrated the possession of galactose, glucose, and hexosamine besides fucose, which is related to O(H) substance. The presence of N-acetylhexosamine was presumed in both of them.
2. In Salmonella paratyphi B, containing FA substance, not only the presence of N-acetylhexosamine, which is related to blood group A specificity, was presumed, but also the presence of galactose, glucose, mannose, rhamnose, abequose, and hex-osamine was demostrated. And in Salmonella riogrande and Escherichia freundii B90, galactose, glucose, mannose, and hexosamine were demonstrated, and the presence of N-acetylhexosamine, which is related to blood group A specificity, was presumed.
3. In Escherichia coli O86, containing B substance, fucose, glucose, and hexosa-mine, in addition to galactose, which is related to blood group B specificity, were demonstrated. Also the presence of N-acetylhexosamine was presumed.
4. C (A+B) substance has been demonstrated especially in the rough variants of the above strains. N-acetylhexosamine, which is related to blood group C and A specificities, and galactose, which is related to blood group C and B specificities, could be demonstrated in all the strains. It is considered that a combination of these two with other sugars would be different from that in O(H) substance, and that this would play a part in the manifestation of group C (A+B) activity.
5. In bacteria, the presence of sugar, related to blood group specificity, did not always indicate the manifestation of blood group specificity. This suggests that the manner in which the sugars are arranged as determinant groups governs the blood group specificity.