Biomaterial Database

Isolation and chemical structure of the peptidoglycan of Spirillum serpens cell walls. 1968

P E Kolenbrander, and J C Ensign

The peptidoglycan layer of Spirillum serpens cell walls was isolated from intact cells after treatment with sodium dodecylsulfate and digestion with Pronase. The isolated peptidoglycan contained glucosamine, muramic acid, alanine, glutamic acid, and meso-diaminopimelic acid in the approximate molar ratio of 1:1:2:1:1. Aspartic acid and glycine were the only other amino acids found in significant quantities. N-terminal amino acid analyses of the tetrapeptide amino acids in the peptidoglycan revealed that 54% of the diaminopimelic acid molecules are involved in cross-linkage between tetrapeptides. This amount of cross-linkage is greater than that found in the peptidoglycan of previously studied cell walls of gram-negative bacteria. The polysaccharide backbone was isolated, after myxobacter AL-1 enzyme digestion of the peptidoglycan, by fractionation with ECTEOLA-cellulose and Sephadex G-100. An average length of 99 hexosamines for the polysaccharide chains was found (ratio of total hexosamines to reducing end groups).

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D008956	Models, Chemical	Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of chemical processes or phenomena; includes the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment.	Chemical Models,Chemical Model,Model, Chemical
D009113	Muramidase	A basic enzyme that is present in saliva, tears, egg white, and many animal fluids. It functions as an antibacterial agent. The enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of 1,4-beta-linkages between N-acetylmuramic acid and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues in peptidoglycan and between N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues in chitodextrin. EC 3.2.1.17.	Lysozyme,Leftose,N-Acetylmuramide Glycanhydrolase,Glycanhydrolase, N-Acetylmuramide,N Acetylmuramide Glycanhydrolase
D010867	Pimelic Acids	A group of compounds that are derivatives of heptanedioic acid with the general formula R-C7H11O4.	Pimelic Acid,Acid, Pimelic,Acids, Pimelic
D011135	Polysaccharides, Bacterial	Polysaccharides found in bacteria and in capsules thereof.	Bacterial Polysaccharides
D002473	Cell Wall	The outermost layer of a cell in most PLANTS; BACTERIA; FUNGI; and ALGAE. The cell wall is usually a rigid structure that lies external to the CELL MEMBRANE, and provides a protective barrier against physical or chemical agents.	Cell Walls,Wall, Cell,Walls, Cell
D002845	Chromatography	Techniques used to separate mixtures of substances based on differences in the relative affinities of the substances for mobile and stationary phases. A mobile phase (fluid or gas) passes through a column containing a stationary phase of porous solid or liquid coated on a solid support. Usage is both analytical for small amounts and preparative for bulk amounts.	Chromatographies
D002850	Chromatography, Gel	Chromatography on non-ionic gels without regard to the mechanism of solute discrimination.	Chromatography, Exclusion,Chromatography, Gel Permeation,Chromatography, Molecular Sieve,Gel Filtration,Gel Filtration Chromatography,Chromatography, Size Exclusion,Exclusion Chromatography,Gel Chromatography,Gel Permeation Chromatography,Molecular Sieve Chromatography,Chromatography, Gel Filtration,Exclusion Chromatography, Size,Filtration Chromatography, Gel,Filtration, Gel,Sieve Chromatography, Molecular,Size Exclusion Chromatography
D000596	Amino Acids	Organic compounds that generally contain an amino (-NH2) and a carboxyl (-COOH) group. Twenty alpha-amino acids are the subunits which are polymerized to form proteins.	Amino Acid,Acid, Amino,Acids, Amino
D000606	Amino Sugars	SUGARS containing an amino group. GLYCOSYLATION of other compounds with these amino sugars results in AMINOGLYCOSIDES.	Amino Sugar,Sugar, Amino,Sugars, Amino