Bacterial cell wall research in Tübingen: A brief historical account

Abstract

Research in Tübingen on bacterial cell walls began in 1951 and continues to this day. The studies over the decades reflect the development in the field, which was strongly influenced by the design of suitable biochemical and genetic methods used to unravel the highly complex envelope structure. At the beginning of this period, improper crude extraction and solubilization methods were employed in an attempt to isolate pure components. Nevertheless, progress was steady and culminated in major insights into the structure and function of individual cell wall components and the cell wall as a whole. The “cell wall” has various definitions. In this short overview, the term includes the cell wall of gram-positive bacteria in the strict sense, and also the outer membrane, the murein (peptidoglycan) and the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria and the cytoplasmic membranes.