Polysaccharides, anthrax

Polysaccharides of Corynebacterium diphtheriae yield D-galactose, pentoses and amino sugars on hydrolysis.79 D-Glucose and D-mannose are major hydrolytic products of the polysaccharide of Clostridium perfringens.80 Complete hydrolysis81 of the polysaccharide of the anthrax bacillus yielded acetyl-D-glucosamine and D-galactose. 

Several pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Bacillus anthracis, the cause of anthrax) produce an outermost mucoid layer called a capsule. Capsules may be composed of polysaccharide or protein. What effect do you think this coat would have on a bacterium s interactions with an animal s immune system ... 

In addition to the anthrax carbohydrate present on the surface of spores described above, the structure of the secondary cell wall polysaccharide of B. anthracis vegetative cells consists of hexasaccharide repeating units having unusual (3-linked N-acetylmannosamine 45. The two corresponding synthetic trisaccharides were recognized by the sera from rabbits exposed to spores of B. anthracis.The first total synthesis of the hexasaccharide repeating unit was accomplished recently. ... 

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