Teichoic acids in cell walls of strains of the “nicotianae” group of Arthrobacter: a chemotaxonomic marker

Abstract

Teichoic acids covalently linked to the peptidoglycans were detected in cell walls of 14 coryneform bacteria of the “nicotianae” group of Arthrobacter . The structural characteristics of the teichoic acids were not uniform among the strains. The evidence suggests the presence of more than one teichoic acid type in the same species. Teichoic acids of the poly(glycerophosphate) type partially substituted, predominantly with glucose, occurred in all strains. N-acetylgalactosamine and N-acetylglucosamine were also present as monomeric substituents in certain strains; in other strains dimeric substituents consisting of glucose and N-acetylglucosamine or galactose and N-acetylgalactosaminofuranose were identified. In addition, atypical teichoic acids corresponding to poly(N-acetylgalactosaminephosphate) and poly(N-acetylglucosaminephosphate) were frequently present. These data serve to further differentiate the “globiformis” and “nicotianae” groups of the genus Arthrobacter. Strains forming the “nicotianae” group can be biochemically defined by the possession of a peptidoglycan of the A4α variation, MK8 and/or MK9 menaquinones and cell wall teichoic acids of the poly(glycerophosphate) type. For practical purposes a strain suspected of belonging to the “nicotianae” group should be checked for the presence of lysine, phosphorus and glycerol in the cell wall.