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 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 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.

scholarly journals Teichoic Acid Is an Essential Polymer in Bacillus subtilis That Is Functionally Distinct from Teichuronic Acid

2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (23) ◽  
pp. 7865-7873 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit P. Bhavsar ◽  
Laura K. Erdman ◽  
Jeffrey W. Schertzer ◽  
Eric D. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Teichoic Acid ◽  
Wall Thickening ◽  
Glycerol Phosphate ◽  
Wall Teichoic Acid ◽  
Teichoic Acids ◽  
Gram Positive Bacteria ◽  
Teichuronic Acid ◽  
Wall Teichoic Acids

ABSTRACT Wall teichoic acids are anionic, phosphate-rich polymers linked to the peptidoglycan of gram-positive bacteria. In Bacillus subtilis, the predominant wall teichoic acid types are poly(glycerol phosphate) in strain 168 and poly(ribitol phosphate) in strain W23, and they are synthesized by the tag and tar gene products, respectively. Growing evidence suggests that wall teichoic acids are essential in B. subtilis; however, it is widely believed that teichoic acids are dispensable under phosphate-limiting conditions. In the work reported here, we carefully studied the dispensability of teichoic acid under phosphate-limiting conditions by constructing three new mutants. These strains, having precise deletions in tagB, tagF, and tarD, were dependent on xylose-inducible complementation from a distal locus (amyE) for growth. The tarD deletion interrupted poly(ribitol phosphate) synthesis in B. subtilis and represents a unique deletion of a tar gene. When teichoic acid biosynthetic proteins were depleted, the mutants showed a coccoid morphology and cell wall thickening. The new wall teichoic acid biogenesis mutants generated in this work and a previously reported tagD mutant were not viable under phosphate-limiting conditions in the absence of complementation. Cell wall analysis of B. subtilis grown under phosphate-limited conditions showed that teichoic acid contributed approximately one-third of the wall anionic content. These data suggest that wall teichoic acid has an essential function in B. subtilis that cannot be replaced by teichuronic acid.

Factors Influencing Geosmin Production by the Cyanobacterium Oscillatoria Brevis

1988 ◽  
Vol 20 (8-9) ◽  
pp. 125-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Naes ◽  
H. C. Utkilen ◽  
A. F. Post
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Limited Extent ◽  
Limited Growth ◽  
Pigment Synthesis ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Culture Techniques ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Effect Of Inhibitors

Environmental factors affecting geosmin production by Oscillatoria brevis have been investigated under laboratory conditions using continuous culture techniques. Transition from light to nutrient limited growth conditions caused a two-fold decrease in geosmin production. However, geosmin content increased relative to pigment content (chlorophyll a and carotenoids). It has been suggested that geosmin biosynthesis in O. brevis proceeds via the isoprenoid pathway as was found in actinomycetes. Accordingly, we investigated the effect of inhibitors of the intermediate stages in this synthetic pathway in order to study the regulation of geosmin production in relation to pigment synthesis. It was concluded that geosmin seemed to function as an overflow metabolite in this pathway. Due to the only modest changes in geosmin production per dry weight compared to changes in biomass levels during light- or nutrient limited growth, contamination of eutrophic fresh waters with geosmin appears to depend mainly on the species present and its biomass level and only to a limited extent on nutrient enhanced synthesis.

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 Bacillus subtilis YngB is a UTP-glucose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase contributing to wall teichoic acid modification and glycolipid formation during anaerobic growth

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Hung Wu ◽  
Jeanine Rismondo ◽  
Rhodri M. L. Morgan ◽  
Yang Shen ◽  
Martin J. Loessner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Teichoic Acid ◽  
Glucose Production ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Anaerobic Growth ◽  
Acid Modification ◽  
Wall Teichoic Acid ◽  
Native Promoter

AbstractUTP-glucose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferases (UGPases) are enzymes that produce UDP-glucose from UTP and glucose-1-phosphate. In Bacillus subtilis 168, UDP-glucose is required for the decoration of wall teichoic acid (WTA) with glucose residues and the formation of glucolipids. The B. subtilis UGPase GtaB is essential for UDP-glucose production under standard aerobic growth conditions, and gtaB mutants display severe growth and morphological defects. However, bioinformatics predictions indicate that two other UGPases, are present in B. subtilis. Here, we investigated the function of one of them named YngB. The crystal structure of YngB revealed that the protein has the typical fold and all necessary active site features of a functional UGPase. Furthermore, UGPase activity could be demonstrated in vitro using UTP and glucose-1-phosphate as substrates. Expression of YngB from a synthetic promoter in a B. subtilis gtaB mutant resulted in the reintroduction of glucose residues on WTA and production of glycolipids, demonstrating that the enzyme can function as UGPase in vivo. When wild-type and mutant B. subtilis strains were grown under anaerobic conditions, YngB-dependent glycolipid production and glucose decorations on WTA could be detected, revealing that YngB is expressed from its native promoter under anaerobic condition. Based on these findings, along with the structure of the operon containing yngB and the transcription factor thought to be required for its expression, we propose that besides WTA, potentially other cell wall components might be decorated with glucose residues during oxygen limited growth condition.

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 Optimization of the Cell Wall Microenvironment Allows Increased Production of Recombinant Bacillus anthracis Protective Antigen from B. subtilis

2002 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 227-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne E. Thwaite ◽  
Les W. J. Baillie ◽  
Noel M. Carter ◽  
Keith Stephenson ◽  
Mark Rees ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Cytoplasmic Membrane ◽  
Protective Antigen ◽  
Teichoic Acid ◽  
Heterologous Proteins ◽  
Native Conformation ◽  
Anionic Polymer ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Stability

ABSTRACT The stability of heterologous proteins secreted by gram-positive bacteria is greatly influenced by the microenvironment on the trans side of the cytoplasmic membrane, and secreted heterologous proteins are susceptible to rapid degradation by host cell proteases. In Bacillus subtilis, degradation occurs either as the proteins emerge from the presecretory translocase and prior to folding into their native conformation or after the native conformation has been reached. The former process generally involves membrane- and/or cell wall-bound proteases, while the latter involves proteases that are released into the culture medium. The identification and manipulation of factors that influence the folding of heterologous proteins has the potential to improve the yield of secreted heterologous proteins. Recombinant anthrax protective antigen (rPA) has been used as a model secreted heterologous protein because it is sensitive to proteolytic degradation both before and after folding into its native conformation. This paper describes the influence of the microenvironment on the trans side of the cytoplasmic membrane on the stability of rPA. Specifically, we have determined the influence of net cell wall charge and its modulation by the extent to which the anionic polymer teichoic acid is d-alanylated on the secretion and stability of rPA. The potential role of the dlt operon, responsible for d-alanylation, was investigated using a Bacillus subtilis strain encoding an inducible dlt operon. We show that, in the absence of d-alanylation, the yield of secreted rPA is increased 2.5-fold. The function of d-alanylation and the use of rPA as a model protein are evaluated with respect to the optimization of B. subtilis for the secretion of heterologous proteins.

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