Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A capsular polysaccharide (MenA CP) (MenA CP)

The Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A capsular polysaccharide is a critical surface antigen and a primary virulence factor for the bacterium responsible for epidemic meningitis (Stephens et al., 2007). It is a unique homopolymer composed of α-(1→6)-linked N-acetyl-D-mannosamine-1-phosphate units, which are often O-acetylated at the C3 position (Gao et al., 2013). This capsule serves as a protective shield, allowing the pathogen to evade the host immune system by inhibiting complement-mediated lysis and opsonophagocytosis (Spinosa et al., 2007). In clinical practice, this polysaccharide is the target of conjugate vaccines, such as MenAfriVac and Menveo, which link the glycan to a carrier protein to elicit a robust, T-cell dependent immune response (Frasch et al., 2012). The trisaccharide epitope represents a minimal structural unit of this polymer and is a focal point for developing synthetic vaccines aimed at providing precise and stable protection against serogroup A infections (Prasad et al., 2003).

Other names

Meningococcal group A polysaccharideMenA polysaccharideα-(1→6)-linked N-acetyl-D-mannosamine-1-phosphate polymerMenA trisaccharide epitope

Induction of protective serum bactericidal antibodies (IgG) that facilitate complement-mediated lysis and opsonophagocytosis of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A bacteria (Frasch et al., 2012).