Neisseria meningitidis capsular group Y polysaccharide

The Neisseria meningitidis capsular group Y polysaccharide is a bacterial surface carbohydrate structure and the principal virulence factor for group Y meningococcal strains, which are a major cause of invasive meningococcal disease, including meningitis and septicemia. The group Y polysaccharide capsule is composed of alternating D-glucose and N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid) residues and is critical for immune evasion, protecting the bacterium from complement-mediated killing. Group Y capsular polysaccharide forms the basis for serogrouping of the organism and is a target for both laboratory diagnostics and for vaccine development—particularly in conjugate vaccines, which induce protective immunity against group Y strains. This molecule is not a human receptor or enzyme, but rather a surface-expressed bacterial antigen and a classical target for immunoprophylaxis. The genes responsible for biosynthesis and surface expression of this polysaccharide, including those encoding key glycosyltransferases, are located in the cps locus of the Neisseria meningitidis genome.

Other names

Group Y capsular polysaccharideSerogroup Y capsular polysaccharideNeisseria meningitidis serogroup Y capsuleNmY CPS

Induction of immune response through generation of antibodies against the capsule (for conjugate vaccines targeting group Y polysaccharide)