B型無乳鏈球菌(Group B Streptococcus agalactiae)含唾液酸的莢膜,能避免補體C3b的沉澱或巨噬細胞的吞噬,使菌體可經由垂直感染造成新生兒敗血症或腦膜炎。莢膜多醣的產生及其結構的完整性,已被報導為該菌的致病毒性因子。而唾液酸位於莢膜上寡醣單元(NeuAc-
Streptococcus agalactiae is a primary cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The production of a type-specific capsular polysaccharide (CPS) is essential to the virulence of this pathogen and enables the bacteria to evade host immue defenses. As a key component of the capsular polysaccharide, sialic acid (or N-acetylneuraminic acid) is