Immunochemical characterization of the carbohydrate antigens of serotype k and Lancefield group G “Streptococcus milleri”

Abstract

Carbohydrate antigens of the serotype k/Lancefield group G "Streptococcus milleri" were extracted by autoclaving whole cells of the type k reference strain Streptococcus anginosus K214-2K. The type k and group G antigen molecules are separated from each other and partially purified by a DEAE-Sephadex A25 column chromatography followed by a Sephadex G-100 gel filtration. In the double diffusion and the immunoelectrophoresis, the type k and group G antigen preparations obtained yielded single bands with their homologous antisera respectively. The type k antigen preparation contained principally glycerol, rhamnose, ribitol, galactose and glucose in a molar ratio of 0.54:1.20:0.43:0.33:1.00. The quantitative precipitin inhibition test indicated that beta(1-6)glucosyl-glucose (gentiobiose) sequence played a major role in immunodeterminant structure. Thus, the type k antigen of "S. milleri" appears to be a new carbohydrate type antigen that is chemically different from any Ottens type antigen. In contrast, the group G antigen preparation contained high proportion of rhamnose in addition to glucose, N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylgalactosamine in a molar ratio of 6.45:1.00:0.24:1.15, and the rhamnose residue was involved in the immunodominant epitope, being in good agreement with the previously proposed chemical structure of the group antigen.

Antigenic characterisation of a novel Streptococcus anginosus antigen that induces nitric oxide synthesis by murine peritoneal exudate cells

“…Chemical analysis revealed that SAA consists mainly of carbohydrates, such as rhamnose and N-acetylglucosamine, and smaller quantities of protein. Its composition was essentially similar to that of RRA (Table 2), as well as to that of the carbohydrate antigen of the serotype k/Lance®eld group G extracted by autoclaving whole cells of S. anginosus K-214-2K [26]. These results strongly suggest that the composition of SAA could be closely related to serotype carbohydrate antigen(s), but not to that of LTA or RGPs.…”

Complete Genome Sequences of Two Human Oral Microbiome Commensals: Streptococcus salivarius ATCC 25975 and S. salivarius ATCC 27945

“…A variety of strains inhabit various subregions of the oral cavity (1) and presumably adapt to these niches. Certain S. salivarius strains are classified as Lancefield K − because they lack the K antigen (2). These strains have also been described as having fimbriae in a uniform distribution across their outer surface, differentiating them from K + strains, which possess various fibrillar appendages (3).…”

Streptococcus anginosus infection in oral cancer and its infection route

“…Streptococcus anginosus , one of the oral viridans streptococci, is a normal flora preferentially found in dental plaque (Hamada and Slade, 1980). Although the organism is generally considered to have a low pathogenicity, it can cause serious purulent abscesses in various body sites (Gossling, 1988; Ruoff, 1988; Whitworth, 1990; Willcox, 1995; Kitada and Inoue, 1996), and subacute infective endocarditis (Fisher and Russell, 1993; Willcox, 1995). Furthermore, Sasaki et al (1995a, 1998), using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay with S. anginosus ‐specific primers, reported that the S. anginosus genome DNA sequence was frequently detected in samples from surgical specimens of most esophageal and some gastric cancers; however, it was rarely found in matched non‐cancerous tissues.…”