The cell wall of Bacillus licheniformis N.C.T.C. 6346. Linkage between the teichuronic acid and mucopeptide components.

Abstract

1. After extraction of teichoic acid from cell walls of Bacillus licheniformis with dilute alkali, the insoluble residue contains the teichuronic acid and mucopeptide components and a small amount of residual phosphorus. 2. A complex of teichuronic acid and a part of the mucopeptide was isolated from the soluble fraction obtained by lysozyme treatment of alkali extracted walls. 3. Small-molecular-weight mucopeptide fragments, not containing teichuronic acid, are obtained from the soluble fraction in yields similar to those obtained after treatment of whole walls or acid-extracted walls with lysozyme. 4. The covalent linkages between teichuronic acid and mucopeptide are broken by treatment with dilute acid. The release of teichuronic acid chains is accompanied by the hydrolysis of N-acetylgalactosaminide linkages and the exposed N-acetylgalactosamine residues form chromogen under very mild conditions, indicating that they are substituted on C-3. 5. The initial rate of formation of reactive N-acetylgalactosamine residues during mild acid hydrolysis is parallel to the rate of extraction under the same conditions of teichuronic acid from alkali-treated insoluble walls, and to the rate of acid hydrolysis of glucose 1-phosphate. 6. The results suggest that the teichuronic acid chains are attached through reducing terminals of N-acetylgalactosamine residues to phosphate groups in the mucopeptide. 7. Muramic acid phosphate was isolated from the insoluble mucopeptide remaining after extraction of walls with dilute alkali followed by dilute acid.