Isolation and partial characterization of a capsular material from Staphylococcus aureus.

Wiley, Bill B. (University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada) and Jane C. Wonnacott. Isolation and partial characterization of a capsular material from Staphylococcus aureus. J. Bacteriol. 83:1169-1176. 1962.-An encapsulated strain of Staphylococcus aureus, which underwent a specific capsular reaction with homologous antiserum, was grown in a semisynthetic Casamino acids-glycerol broth. A fraction containing the capsular material was isolated from the culture supernatants. The preparation was antigenic in rabbits and absorbed the antibody responsible for both the passive protection of chick embryos and the specific capsular reaction in rabbit antiserum against the homologous organism. Chemically, the material was free of nucleic acids, contained 8% nitrogen, 4.25% total phosphorus, 26% hexosamine, and 26% reducing sugar. Acid hydrolysis yielded the amino acids glycine, alanine, glutamic acid, and lysine. Glucosamine and organic phosphate compounds were also present. Organic phosphate compounds were accounted for as glycerophosphate.