Effect of degradation of the arabinogalactan portionof a water-soluble component from M. tuberculosis wax D on polyarthritis induction in the rat.

In order to explore a possible role of the arabinogalactin (AG) portion of the water-soluble arthritogenic component (WAC) from M. tuberculosis wax D for induction of adjuvant arthritis (AA) in the rat, this component was digested with an AG-degrading enzyme. The enzyme-digested WAC was able to produce AA. The severity of AA was almost comparable to that of the nondigested WAC. This finding suggests that the AG portion of the WAC does not seem to be essential for AA induction and indirectly points the importance of the peptidoglycan portion.