Immunochemical studies on a Mycoplasma pneumoniae polysaccharide fraction: cross-reactions with type 23 and 32 antipneumococcal rabbit sera.

Lipid-free polysaccharide fraction 2 extracted from Mycoplasma pneumoniae strain FH by Prescott et al. (J. Bacteriol. 91:2117-2115, 1966) was examined for its ability to cross-precipitate antibody from type-specific rabbit antipneumococcal sera types 1 to 34 inclusive. Cross-precipitation in type-specific pneumococcal anti-type 23 and anti-type 32 sera was examined in detail and could be attributed to a rhamnose-galactose-rich component of crude M. pneumoniae polysaccharide fraction 2 recovered from immunoprecipitates formed with anti-type 23 serum. Immunochemically isolated mycoplasma polysaccharide was found to contain glucose, galactose, rhamnose, and mannose in 1:14:5:4 molar proportions. Comparison of the ability of 6-O-alpha-L-rhamnosyl-D-glucose and free L-rhamnose to inhibit precepitation by homologous pneumococcal and heterologous mycoplasma polysaccharide antigens indicates a combining site specificity for anti-type 23 and anti-type 32 antibodies directed largely against the alpha-linked L-rhamnosyl determinants and the occurrence of alpha-L-rhamnosyl units in type 32 and M. pneumoniae polysaccharides. Hapten inhibition of the cross-precipitation of pneumococcal type 23 capsular polysaccharide in anti-type 32 serum helps to establish that cross-reactivity can be attributed to interaction of recurrent, alpha-L-rhamnosyl units of type 23 with anit-alpha-L-rhamnoside combining sites of anti-type 32 antibodies.