Biosynthesis of the Bacterial Envelope Polymers Teichoic Acid and Teichuronic Acid

1985 ◽  
pp. 279-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian C. Hancock ◽  
James Baddiley
Keyword(s):  
Teichoic Acid ◽  
Teichuronic Acid

scholarly journals Control of teichoic acid and teichuronic acid biosynthesis in chemostat cultures of Bacillus subtilis var. niger

1969 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
D C Ellwood ◽  
D. W. Tempest
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Teichoic Acid ◽  
Extracellular Fluid ◽  
Acid Synthesis ◽  
Growth Cycle ◽  
Wall Material ◽  
Wall Teichoic Acid ◽  
Anionic Polymers ◽  
Teichuronic Acid

1. Quantitative determination of the anionic polymers present in the walls of Bacillus subtilis var. niger organisms undergoing transition, in a chemostat culture, from either Mg2+-limitation to PO43−-limitation or K+-limitation to PO43−-limitation showed that teichuronic acid synthesis started immediately the culture became PO43−-limited and proceeded at a rate substantially faster than the rate of biomass synthesis. 2. Simultaneously, the cell-wall teichoic acid content diminished at a rate greater than that due to dilution by newly synthesized wall material, and fragments of teichoic acid and mucopeptide accumulated in the culture extracellular fluid. 3. Equally rapid reverse changes occurred when a PO43−-limited B. subtilis var. niger culture was returned to being Mg2+-limited. 4. It is concluded that in this organism both teichoic acid and teichuronic acid syntheses are expressions of a single genotype, and a mechanism for the control of synthesis of both polymers is suggested. 5. These results are discussed with reference to the constantly changing environmental conditions that obtain in a batch culture and the variation in bacterial cell-wall composition that is reported to occur throughout the growth cycle.

scholarly journals Role of PhoP∼P in Transcriptional Regulation of Genes Involved in Cell Wall Anionic Polymer Biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis

1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (15) ◽  
pp. 4007-4010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Qi ◽  
F. Marion Hulett
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Teichoic Acid ◽  
Acid Synthesis ◽  
In Vitro Transcription ◽  
Anionic Polymer ◽  
Transcription System ◽  
Teichuronic Acid

ABSTRACT tagA, tagD, and tuaA operons are responsible for the synthesis of cell wall anionic polymer, teichoic acid, and teichuronic acid, respectively, in Bacillus subtilis. Under phosphate starvation conditions, teichuronic acid is synthesized while teichoic acid synthesis is inhibited. Expression of these genes is controlled by PhoP-PhoR, a two-component system. It has been proposed that PhoP∼P plays a key role in the activation oftuaA and the repression of tagA andtagD. In this study, we demonstrated the role of PhoP∼P in the switch process from teichoic acid synthesis to teichuronic acid synthesis, by using an in vitro transcription system. The results indicate that PhoP∼P is sufficient to repress the transcription of the tagA and tagD promoters and also to activate the transcription of the tuaA promoter.

Synthesis of Microcapsule by Staphylococcus aureus Is Not Responsive to Environmental Phosphate Concentrations

1998 ◽  
Vol 66 (8) ◽  
pp. 4004-4007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen F. Fox ◽  
George C. Stewart ◽  
Alvin Fox
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Teichoic Acid ◽  
Acid Synthesis ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Phosphate Concentration ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Teichuronic Acid ◽  
Environmental Component

ABSTRACT The polysaccharide microcapsule of Staphylococcus aureus has been reported to be differentially expressed depending on growth conditions, with phosphate concentration being the critical environmental component. This study evaluated the effect of growth of a serotype 8 strain of S. aureus in phosphate-replete and phosphate-limiting media on microcapsule production. The presence of the cell wall polymers microcapsule and teichoic acid was measured by both gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Production of microcapsule was unaffected by changes in the environmental phosphate concentration. There was, additionally, no evidence for a shift from teichoic acid to teichuronic acid synthesis.

scholarly journals The wall content and composition of Bacillus subtilis var. niger grown in a chemostat

1970 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 367-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. Ellwood
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Phosphorus Content ◽  
Teichoic Acid ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Glycerol Phosphate ◽  
Limited Growth ◽  
Anionic Polymer ◽  
Rate Analysis ◽  
Teichuronic Acid

Bacillus subtilis var. niger was grown in a chemostat with various growth limitations and at various growth rates. The wall content and composition of the organism grown under these conditions were determined. The wall content, expressed as a percentage of the dry weight of organisms, varied with the growth rate. Analysis of wall samples showed that their composition also varied, particularly with respect to the phosphorus content. Wall samples extracted with trichloroacetic acid under carefully controlled conditions were found to contain various amounts of phosphorus, this being present as a glycerol phosphate polymer containing hexose (glucose and in some cases galactose), i.e. a teichoic aid. Teichoic acids were present in the walls of organisms grown under all conditions except when phosphorus limited growth. Then a different anionic polymer, composed of glucuronic acid and N-acetylgalactosamine (a teichuronic acid), was present. Under the specific growth conditions at pH7.0 and 35°C in a chemostat, teichoic acid and teichuronic acid appeared to be mutually exclusive.

scholarly journals A polymer with a backbone of 3-deoxy-d -glycero -d -galacto -non-2-ulopyranosonic acid, a teichuronic acid, and a β-glucosylated ribitol teichoic acid in the cell wall of plant pathogenic Streptomyces sp. VKM Ac-2124

2002 ◽  
Vol 269 (24) ◽  
pp. 6020-6025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander S. Shashkov ◽  
Larisa N. Kosmachevskaya ◽  
Galina M. Streshinskaya ◽  
Lyudmila I. Evtushenko ◽  
Olga V. Bueva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Teichoic Acid ◽  
Streptomyces Sp ◽  
Teichuronic Acid

scholarly journals Influence of growth condition on the concentration of potassium in Bacillus subtilis var. niger and its possible relationship to cellular ribonucleic acid, teichoic acid and teichuronic acid

1968 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 237-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Tempest ◽  
J. W. Dicks ◽  
D C Ellwood
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Dilution Rate ◽  
Cell Walls ◽  
Teichoic Acid ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Glycerol Phosphate ◽  
Anionic Polymer ◽  
Type Compound ◽  
Acid Type ◽  
Teichuronic Acid

1. Mg2+-limited Bacillus subtilis var. niger, growing in a chemostat in a simple salts medium, contained considerably more potassium and phosphorus than Mg2+-limited Aerobacter aerogenes growing in a similar medium at corresponding dilution rates. 2. Growth of the bacillus in a K+-limited environment did not lower the cellular potassium and phosphorus contents, the molar proportions of cell-bound magnesium, potassium, RNA (as nucleotide) and phosphorus being approximately constant at 1:13:5:13 (compared with 1:4:5:8 in Mg2+-limited or K+-limited A. aerogenes). 3. Growth of B. subtilis in a phosphate-limited environment caused the cellular phosphorus content to be lowered to a value similar to that of Mg2+-limited A. aerogenes, but the potassium content was not correspondingly lowered; the molar potassium:magnesium ratio varied from 14 to 17 with changes in dilution rate from 0·4 to 0·1hr.−1. 4. Whereas over 70% of the cell-bound phosphorus of Mg2+-limited or K+-limited A. aerogenes was contained in the nucleic acids, these polymers accounted for less than 50% of the phosphorus present in similarly limited B. subtilis; much phosphorus was present in the walls of the bacilli, bound in a teichoic acid-type compound composed of glycerol phosphate and glucose (but no alanine). 5. Phosphate-limited B. subtilis cell walls (from organisms grown at a dilution rate of 0·2hr.−1) contained little phosphorus and no detectable amounts of teichoic acid, but 40% of the cell-wall dry weight could be accounted for by a teichuronic acid-type compound; this contained a glucuronic acid and galactosamine, neither of which could be detected in the walls of Mg2+-limited B. subtilis grown at a corresponding rate. 6. It is suggested that the high concentration of potassium in growing B. subtilis (compared with A. aerogenes) results from the presence of large amounts of anionic polymer (teichoic acid or teichuronic acid) in the bacillus cell walls.

scholarly journals The cell wall of Bacillus licheniformis N.C.T.C. 6346. Linkage between the teichuronic acid and mucopeptide components

1970 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 431-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Acid Hydrolysis ◽  
Bacillus Licheniformis ◽  
Soluble Fraction ◽  
Teichoic Acid ◽  
Insoluble Residue ◽  
Dilute Acid ◽  
Small Molecular Weight ◽  
Teichuronic Acid ◽  
Hydrolysis Of ◽  
Phosphate Groups

1. After extraction of teichoic acid from cell walls of Bacillus licheniformis with dilute alkali, the insoluble residue contains the teichuronic acid and mucopeptide components and a small amount of residual phosphorus. 2. A complex of teichuronic acid and a part of the mucopeptide was isolated from the soluble fraction obtained by lysozyme treatment of alkali extracted walls. 3. Small-molecular-weight mucopeptide fragments, not containing teichuronic acid, are obtained from the soluble fraction in yields similar to those obtained after treatment of whole walls or acid-extracted walls with lysozyme. 4. The covalent linkages between teichuronic acid and mucopeptide are broken by treatment with dilute acid. The release of teichuronic acid chains is accompanied by the hydrolysis of N-acetylgalactosaminide linkages and the exposed N-acetylgalactosamine residues form chromogen under very mild conditions, indicating that they are substituted on C-3. 5. The initial rate of formation of reactive N-acetylgalactosamine residues during mild acid hydrolysis is parallel to the rate of extraction under the same conditions of teichuronic acid from alkali-treated insoluble walls, and to the rate of acid hydrolysis of glucose 1-phosphate. 6. The results suggest that the teichuronic acid chains are attached through reducing terminals of N-acetylgalactosamine residues to phosphate groups in the mucopeptide. 7. Muramic acid phosphate was isolated from the insoluble mucopeptide remaining after extraction of walls with dilute alkali followed by dilute acid.

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