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Abstract Rabbit antisera have been prepared against three yeasts (Kloeckera brevis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Saccharomyces lactis) whose mannans have closely related but unique structures. All three antisera cross-react with the isolated mannans of the three yeasts, and the immunochemical bases for these cross-reactions were determined by a study of the inhibition of the precipitin reactions with oligosaccharides obtained from the mannans by acetolysis. The immunodominant side chain of the S. cerevisiae mannan is thought to be the tetrasaccharide unit M1 → 3M1 → 2M1 → 2M, since this oligosaccharide was the most effective inhibitor of the homologous precipitin reaction. While the S. lactis mannan contained this side chain, it also contained a pentasaccharide side chain of undetermined structure which was the immunodominant group of this mannan. The antiserum against the S. lactis mannan contained at least two antibody specificities, one against the tetrasaccharide side chain and the other against the pentasaccharide side chain. This antiserum could be made specific for the pentasaccharide side chain by absorption with S. cerevisiae mannan.
Clinton E. Ballou (1970) studied this question.