Identification of sialic acid in polysaccharide antigens in group B Streptococcus.

By means of paper chromatographic techniques with purified, sialic acid-containing, bacterial antigen standards, sialic acid, as well as galactose and glucosamine, have been identified as components of each type-specific antigen of group B Streptococcus. Rhamnose was not detected in the group B antigen isolated by the classical HCl and heat extraction method.