Carbohydrate composition of hepatitis B surface antigen.

The content and composition of carbohydrate in hepatitis B surface antigen HBsAg) were clarified by gas chromatography. A value of 75-8 microgram carbohydrate per mg of protein was obtained. The main components were N-acetylglucosamine, mannose, galactose and sialic acid and the minor one was fucose. No N-acetyl-galactosamine was detected. The fact that no sugar was detected in lipid fractions suggests that the sugar in HGsAg exists almost exclusively in the form of glycoprotein and there is no glycolipid.