The repeating sequence of the capsular polysaccharide of Staphylococcus aureus M.

The anomeric configuration of the sugar residues of the capsular polysaccharide antigen of Staphylococcus aureus M were established by 13C-n.m.r. spectroscopy, and the linkage positions by g.l.c.-m.s. after methylation, indicating a leads to 4)-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranosyluronic acid)-(1 leads to 4)-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranosyluronic acid)-(1 leads to 3)-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-alpha-D-fucopyranosyl)-(1 leads to repeating unit. A taurine residue is linked by an amide bond, on the average, to every fourth 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactopyranosyluronic acid residue.