scholarly journals STUDIES ON THE CHEMICAL STRUCTURE OF THE STREPTOCOCCAL CELL WALL

1961 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard M. Krause ◽  
Maclyn McCarty

Lysis of trypsinized Group A streptococcal cell walls with phage-associated lysin releases into solution dialyzable and non-dialyzable mucopeptide fractions composed of N-acetylglucosamine, N-acetylmuramic acid and alanine, glutamic acid, lysine, and glycine in addition to the characteristic group-specific carbohydrate. The latter substance contains appreciable amounts of N-acetylmuramic acid and the amino acids as well as N-acetylglucosamine and rhamnose. Hot formamide extraction of the cell walls results in a soluble fraction of group-specific carbohydrate and an insoluble residue. The Group A carbohydrate in this instance is composed of rhamnose and N-acetylglucosamine. The composition of the insoluble residue is similar to that of the mucopeptide fractions released from the cell wall by phage-associated lysin. This residue was shown by electron microscopy to be composed of discrete discs which appear similar in structure to the intact cell wall. The specific carbohydrate obtained by hot formamide extraction of Group A-variant cell walls was composed almost exclusively of rhamnose. The residue fraction was similar to that of Group A. The residue of cell walls extracted with hot formamide is extensively solubilized not only by phage-associated lysin and S. albus enzyme, but also by lysozyme, which has no measurable effect on the intact streptococcal cell wall.

1962 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard M. Krause ◽  
Maclyn McCarty

The trypsinized cell walls of Group C streptococci contain two components, the group-specific carbohydrate and a mucopeptide polymer. Hot formamide extraction of Group C cell walls results in a soluble group-specific carbohydrate fraction and an insoluble mucopeptide residue. This mucopeptide, similar in composition to that of Groups A and A-variant streptococci, contains N-acetylglucosamine, N-acetylmuramic acid, alanine, glutamic acid, lysine, and glycine. It is dissolved by the muralytic enzymes, including lysozyme, which does not attack the whole cell wall. Lysis of the cell wall by phage-associated lysin results in the release of soluble fragments composed of the elements of mucopeptide. Group C carbohydrate extracted with formamide is composed primarily of N-acetylgalactosamine and rhamnose. Serological studies suggest that the specificity of Group C carbohydrate is determined by the N-acetylgalactosamine.


1989 ◽  
Vol 170 (2) ◽  
pp. 369-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Q DeJoy ◽  
K M Ferguson ◽  
T M Sapp ◽  
J B Zabriskie ◽  
A L Oronsky ◽  
...  

Primary lymph node cells derived from streptococcal cell wall arthritic rats or those derived from adjuvant arthritic rats proliferated in response to cell wall antigens derived from either streptococcal cell walls or those from M. tuberculosis. In addition, two T cell lines have been isolated from lymph nodes of rats during the chronic phase of streptococcal cell wall arthritis. These T cell lines transfered clinical disease to naive syngeneic irradiated recipients, and they proliferated in the presence of cell wall antigens derived from streptococci or antigens derived from Mycobacterium but failed to proliferate in the presence of the 65-kD antigen (containing the sequence TFGLQLELT) derived from Mycobacterium. These observations indicate that T cells play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of streptococcal cell wall arthritis and suggest that antigenic crossreactivity exists between cell walls of group A streptococci and antigens derived from Mycobacterium. The 65-kD Mycobacterium protein is not involved in the observed antigenic crossreactivity.


1965 ◽  
Vol 122 (5) ◽  
pp. 877-890 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiri Rotta ◽  
Thomas J. Prendergast ◽  
Walter W. Karakawa ◽  
Charles K. Harmon ◽  
Richard M. Krause

The streptococcal cell wall mucopeptide when injected into mice either intraperitoneally or intravenously enhances the resitance to subsequent challenge with virulent Group A streptococci. Rabbits which are injected intravenously with solubilized mucopeptide develop a fever response which has a resemblance to that achieved with endotoxin. Mice which survive 6 to 7 weeks after challenge with virulent Group A streptococci yield at autopsy search Group A streptococci serologically identical to the challenge organisms. A preparative dose of cell walls injected into mice prior to challenge diminished this late recovery of streptococci. Group A-variant streptococci were recovered from mice which survived challenge and carried the organisms for several weeks. Filterable bacterial forms, which grew on L form media, were recovered from infected mice. The serologic type of the L forms was identical to that of the challenge organisms.


1968 ◽  
Vol 127 (3) ◽  
pp. 489-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent A. Fischetti ◽  
John B. Zabriskie

Evidence has been presented that Group C bacteriophages differ as to their inactivating site on the streptococcal cell wall. While all three phages adsorb to isolated cell walls, only the C1 phage was inactivated by enzymatically prepared group-specific carbohydrate. None of the Group C phages were inactivated by chemically extracted group-specific carbohydrate. In contrast, all virulent Group A streptococcal bacteriophages adsorbed only to living Group A streptococci. However, Group A temperate phages were able to adsorb to isolated cell walls but not to group-specific carbohydrate. While it has not been possible to identify the specific inactivating substance for the Group A virulent phages, certain pieces of evidence indirectly implicate the group-specific carbohydrate, specifically the N-acetylglucosamine moiety. The fact that Group A virulent phages failed to adsorb to heat-killed Group A streptococcal cells suggests that additional factors produced by the living cell are needed for complete viral inactivation.


1969 ◽  
Vol 129 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. H. Ohanian ◽  
J. H. Schwab ◽  
W. J. Cromartie

Mice injected intraperitoneally with isolated cell wall fragments of Group A streptococci develop a carditis similar to that previously observed in mice injected with crude extracts of this organism. Neither the soluble cytoplasmic components of Group A streptococcal cells nor the nonfragmented cell walls produced carditis in this experimental model. Fluorescein and 125I-labeled antibodies specific for Group A streptococcal cell wall antigens were used to demonstrate that, for 5 wk after injection, cell wall material is localized around the sites of active lesions in the heart. In addition, the cell wall antigen accumulates in the liver, spleen, mediastinal lymph nodes, and the adjacent loose connective tissue, where it persists for at least 10 wk.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 1113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liuyang Han ◽  
Xingling Tian ◽  
Tobias Keplinger ◽  
Haibin Zhou ◽  
Ren Li ◽  
...  

Structural and chemical deterioration and its impact on cell wall mechanics were investigated for visually intact cell walls (VICWs) in waterlogged archaeological wood (WAW). Cell wall mechanical properties were examined by nanoindentation without prior embedding. WAW showed more than 25% decrease of both hardness and elastic modulus. Changes of cell wall composition, cellulose crystallite structure and porosity were investigated by ATR-FTIR imaging, Raman imaging, wet chemistry, 13C-solid state NMR, pyrolysis-GC/MS, wide angle X-ray scattering, and N2 nitrogen adsorption. VICWs in WAW possessed a cleavage of carboxyl in side chains of xylan, a serious loss of polysaccharides, and a partial breakage of β-O-4 interlinks in lignin. This was accompanied by a higher amount of mesopores in cell walls. Even VICWs in WAW were severely deteriorated at the nanoscale with impact on mechanics, which has strong implications for the conservation of archaeological shipwrecks.


1952 ◽  
Vol 96 (6) ◽  
pp. 569-580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maclyn McCarty

Cell wall preparations of uniform chemical constitution have been obtained from several strains of group A streptococci. The isolated cell walls are dissolved by the same fractions of the Streptomyces albus enzymes that are effective in the lysis of intact cells, and it is likely that enzymatic lysis of group A streptococci is effected by an attack on the cell wall. The streptococcal cell wall, as prepared in this study, consists of approximately two-thirds carbohydrate and one-third protein. Small amounts of other components may be present. The carbohydrate component, which is composed primarily of N-acetyl-glucosamine and rhamnose, is the group-specific C carbohydrate. The evidence indicates that one of the streptomyces enzymes is directed toward the carbohydrate component of the cell wall.


1957 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard M. Krause

The host ranges of bacteriophages for group A, types 1, 6, 12, and 25 and group C streptococci have been determined. The findings indicate that the susceptibility to these phages is primarily a group-specific phenomenon, although it is modified by several factors such as the hyaluronic acid capsule, lysogeny, and possibly the presence of surface proteins. Phage antibody studies indicate that while the group A phages are antigenically related, they are distinct from the group C phage. This is in agreement with the observation that group A phages are not specific for their homologous streptococcal types. The purified group C carbohydrate inactivates group C phage but not the group A phages, thus suggesting that the carbohydrate, a component of the cell wall, may serve as the phage receptor site. It has not been possible to inactivate the group A phages with group A carbohydrate. Phage lysis of groups A and C streptococci is accompanied by fragmentation of the cell wall since the C carbohydrate has been identified serologically and chemically in the supernate of centrifuged lysates. The immediate lysis of groups A and C hemolytic streptococci and their isolated cell walls by an accesory heat-labile lytic factor in fresh group C lysates is also described.


1967 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 759-765 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Clarke ◽  
G. W. Gray ◽  
D. A. Reaveley

1. The insoluble residue and material present in the aqueous layers resulting from treatment of cell walls of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with aqueous phenol were examined. 2. The products (fractions AqI and AqII) isolated from the aqueous layers from the first and second extractions respectively account for approx. 25% and 12% of the cell wall and consist of both lipopolysaccharide and muropeptide. 3. The lipid part of the lipopolysaccharide is qualitatively similar to the corresponding material (lipid A) from other Gram-negative organisms, as is the polysaccharide part. 4. The insoluble residue (fraction R) contains sacculi, which also occur in fraction AqII. On hydrolysis, the sacculi yield glucosamine, muramic acid, alanine, glutamic acid and 2,6-diaminopimelic acid, together with small amounts of lysine, and they are therefore similar to the murein sacculi of other Gram-negative organisms. Fraction R also contains substantial amounts of protein, which differs from that obtained from the phenol layer. 5. The possible association or aggregation of lipopolysaccharide, murein and murein sacculi is discussed.


1982 ◽  
Vol 155 (6) ◽  
pp. 1702-1718 ◽  
Author(s):  
J A Hamilton ◽  
J B Zabriskie ◽  
L B Lachman ◽  
Y S Chen

Group A streptococcal peptidoglycan has previously been shown to be arthritogenic in rats and has been implicated as a structure present in a class of possible etiologic agents for rheumatoid arthritis. The present study reports that conditioned medium from human monocytes, after interaction with cell wall sonicates of four group A streptococcal strains, stimulates the plasminogen activator (PA) activity of nonrheumatoid synovial fibroblasts. Low concentrations of N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D isoglutamine (muramyl dipeptide) can also generate this synovial activator (SA) activity from human monocytes. Preliminary biochemical data suggest that the SA activity is distinct from interferon-gamma, interleukin 1, and interleukin 2. These results indicate that agents that are arthritogenic in rats can modulate human synovial fibroblast functions via monocytes. The findings are proposed to have possible significance for an understanding of the cellular interactions involved in the formation and function of the rheumatoid pannus, because PA has been invoked as possibly being generally important for the processes of cell migration, tissue remodeling, and inflammation.


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