Comparative immunochemical behavior of acid polysaccharides of Cryptococcus laurentii, Tremella mesenterica and of oxidized cellulose with a type II antipneumococcal serum

The immunochemical behavior of native and partially dexylosylated glucuronic acid-containing polysaccharides of Cryptococcus laurentii (NRRL Y-1401) and of haploid cells of Tremella mesenterica (Y-6151) was examined with Type II anti-pneumococcal horse serum. Cryptococcal polysaccharide and its derivatives cross reacted while the corresponding Tremella preparations did not. The specificity of cross reactive antibodies precipitating with C. laurentii polysaccharide and oxidized cellulose (Oxycel) was examined by quantitative hapten inhibition and compared with the homologous S II-anti-S II system. Differences were found in the relative ability of sodium glucuronate and p-nitrophenyl-β- d -glucuronide to inhibit precipitation of anti-S II antibodies of C. laurentii, Oxycel and Type II pneumococcal polysaccharide.