Biomaterial Database

Cell wall growth of Bacillus megaterium: cytoplasmic radioactivity after pulse-labeling with tritiated diaminopimelic acid. 1975

C de Chastellier, and C Frehel, and A Ryter

Study of the cell wall growth in Bacillus megaterium by pulse-labeling a DAP- Lys- mutant with tritiated diaminopimelic acid (DAP) had revealed the presence of intracytoplasmic radioactivity. The nature of this radioactivity was studied on one hand by autoradiographic analysis of bacteria treated in different ways and on the other hand by chromatography of the radioactive compounds extracted with boiling water. It is shown that cytoplasmic radioactivity corresponds neither to free DAP nor to DAP metabolized into lysine, but to murein precursors. Autoradiographic analysis of bacteria in which all murein precursors were removed gives exactly the same cell wall growth pattern as the one previously obtained for untreated bacteria. It can be concluded that, in B. megaterium, cell wall elongation occurs by diffuse intercalation of newly synthesized murein along the cylindrical part of the cell wall and that only cross wall formation occurs in a precise growth zone.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009154	Mutation	Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations.	Mutations
D010457	Peptidoglycan	A structural polymer of the bacterial cell envelope consisting of sugars and amino acids which is responsible for both shape determination and cellular integrity under osmotic stress in virtually all bacteria.	Murein,Pseudomurein
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
D003593	Cytoplasm	The part of a cell that contains the CYTOSOL and small structures excluding the CELL NUCLEUS; MITOCHONDRIA; and large VACUOLES. (Glick, Glossary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1990)	Protoplasm,Cytoplasms,Protoplasms
D003960	Diaminopimelic Acid	A diamino derivative of heptanedioic acid with amino groups at C-2 and C-6 and the general formula (COOH)CH(NH2)CH2CH2CH2CH(NH2)(COOH).	2,6-Diaminopimelic Acid,2,6 Diaminopimelic Acid,Acid, 2,6-Diaminopimelic,Acid, Diaminopimelic
D001345	Autoradiography	The making of a radiograph of an object or tissue by recording on a photographic plate the radiation emitted by radioactive material within the object. (Dorland, 27th ed)	Radioautography
D001410	Bacillus megaterium	A species of bacteria whose spores vary from round to elongate. It is a common soil saprophyte.	Bacillus megatherium
D014238	Trichloroacetic Acid	A strong acid used as a protein precipitant in clinical chemistry and also as a caustic for removing warts.	Acide trichloracetique,Rubidium Trichloroacetate,Sodium Trichloroacetate,Acid, Trichloroacetic,Trichloroacetate, Rubidium,Trichloroacetate, Sodium,trichloracetique, Acide