Structural studies of the antigen III cell wall polysaccharide of Trichosporon domesticum.

Cell wall and soluble polysaccharides that reacted with Trichosporon domesticum factor III serum were isolated from the type strain of T. domesticum. The fractions contained O-acetyl groups, which contributed to the serological reactivity. The antigenic structure was characterized by chromatographic and spectroscopic methods. The polysaccharide has an alpha-(1-->3)-D-mannan backbone with hetero-oligosaccharide side chains consisting of a 2-O-substituted beta-D-glucuronic acid residue bound to O-2 of the mannose residue, beta-D-xylopyranosyl residues located in the middle of the side chain, and a nonreducing terminal alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl residue bound to 0-4 of xylose. The mannan backbone is O-acetylated at O-6 of the mannose residues.