THE CELL WALLS OF GROUP D STREPTOCOCCI

Abstract

Group D Types 1 and 26 cell walls and the corresponding type-specific carbohydrates, extracted from the walls by various means, contain rhamnose, glucose, galactose, N-acetylglucosamine, and N-acetylgalactosamine. Mucopeptide elements are also present in the walls and in enzymatically-extracted carbohydrates. Types 1 and 26 carbohydrates extracted by formamide contain no mucopeptide, but the serologic reactivity of Type 1 antigen is destroyed by this procedure. The Type 1 antigen was successfully extracted, however, by a new technique involving autolysis of cell walls at pH 6.2. The type carbohydrate prepared by this procedure has chemical and serological similarities to the antigens prepared by the S. albus enzyme and the lysozyme methods.