Neisseria meningitidis serogroup Y capsular polysaccharide (Serogroup Y CPS)

The *Neisseria meningitidis* serogroup Y capsular polysaccharide is a high-molecular-weight carbohydrate polymer that forms the outer capsule of the bacterium. It is composed of repeating units containing D-glucose and N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid), linked via α(2→6) glycosidic bonds. This capsule is a critical virulence factor, enabling the organism to evade host immune responses and cause invasive diseases. Antibodies targeting this capsular polysaccharide are protective; thus, it serves as a key antigen in vaccine development against *N. meningitidis* infections. The genes responsible for biosynthesis and export of the capsular polysaccharide are clustered at the cps (capsule synthesis locus).

Other names

Group Y capsular polysaccharideNmY CPSSerogroup Y polysaccharide

Induction of neutralizing antibodies against the capsular polysaccharide, leading to complement-mediated killing and opsonophagocytosis of *N. meningitidis* serogroup Y bacteria.