Biomaterial Database

The structure of the branching point between acidic polysaccharide and peptidoglycan in Micrococcus lysodeikticus cell wall. 1977

S Hase, and Y Matsushima

An acidic polysaccharide fraction composed of glucose and N-acetylmannosaminuronic acid with a small portion of peptidoglycan was isolated by enzymic digestion and subsequent ECTEOLA-cellulose chromatography from the cell walls of Micrococcus lysodeikticus. On mild acid treatment, the fraction became Morgan-Elson positive and formed the Morgan-Elson chromogen on heating with phosphate buffer (pH 7). The product of mild acid treatment released inorganic phosphate on treatment with phosphomonoesterase. After gel-chromatography on Sephadex G-25 and DE-32, the acidic polysaccharide fraction contained less glucosamine than muramic acid. By reduction of this fraction with borohydride, a part of the glucosamine was converted into glucosaminitol. Based on these results, it is suggested that the acidic polysaccharide is linked to glucosamine by a (1-3) linkage, which is linked to the 6 position of a muramic acid residue by a phosphodiester linkage.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008358	Mannose	A hexose or fermentable monosaccharide and isomer of glucose from manna, the ash Fraxinus ornus and related plants. (From Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed & Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)	D-Mannose,Mannopyranose,Mannopyranoside,D Mannose
D008837	Micrococcus	A genus of gram-positive, spherical bacteria found in soils and fresh water, and frequently on the skin of man and other animals.
D009112	Muramic Acids	Compounds consisting of glucosamine and lactate joined by an ether linkage. They occur naturally as N-acetyl derivatives in peptidoglycan, the characteristic polysaccharide composing bacterial cell walls. (From Dorland, 28th ed)	Muramic Acid,Acid, Muramic,Acids, Muramic
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
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
D003124	Colorimetry	Any technique by which an unknown color is evaluated in terms of standard colors. The technique may be visual, photoelectric, or indirect by means of spectrophotometry. It is used in chemistry and physics. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)
D005947	Glucose	A primary source of energy for living organisms. It is naturally occurring and is found in fruits and other parts of plants in its free state. It is used therapeutically in fluid and nutrient replacement.	Dextrose,Anhydrous Dextrose,D-Glucose,Glucose Monohydrate,Glucose, (DL)-Isomer,Glucose, (alpha-D)-Isomer,Glucose, (beta-D)-Isomer,D Glucose,Dextrose, Anhydrous,Monohydrate, Glucose
D006595	Hexosamines	AMINO SUGARS created by adding an amine group to a hexose sugar.	Hexosamine
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