IDENTIFICATION OF A TOXIC CELLULAR COMPONENT OF GROUP A STREPTOCOCCI AS A COMPLEX OF GROUP-SPECIFIC C POLYSACCHARIDE AND A PROTEIN

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Abstract
Chronic multinodular skin lesions were produced in rabbits injected at a single site with a sterile extract of sonically disrupted group A streptococcal cells. The active component in the extract was isolated by differential centrifugation and counter-current electrophoresis. This toxin is a macromolecular complex of the group-specific C polysaccharide and protein. Treatment of the material with a variety of enzymes and other supporting evidence indicates that the polysaccharide is an essential part of the toxic activity.