The cell-wall teichoic acids of Nocardiopsis dassonvillei IMRU 509T, IMRU 504 and IMRU 1250 and Nocardiopsis antarcticus VKM Ac-836T have the same unique structure that has not heretofore been found in bacteria. The polymer is built of 10 to 13 repeating units: -1snGro3-P-3-beta-D-GalNAc1-2snGro3-P-. The structure has been established by chemical analysis and with NMR spectroscopy. A study of the cell-wall monosaccharide composition, peptidoglycan, and cell phospholipids also provides evidence for the close similarity of these two species.
Data on the structures of cell wall teichoic acids, the anionic carbohydrate-containing polymers, found in many Gram-positive bacteria have been summarized and the polymers of the actinomycete genus Nocardiopsis have been considered from the taxonomic standpoint. The structures of these polymers or their combinations have been demonstrated to be indicative of each of seven Nocardiopsis species and two subspecies, verified by the DNA-DNA relatedness data, and to correlate well with the grouping of the organisms based on 16S rDNA sequences. As each of the intrageneric taxa discussed is definable by the composition of teichoic acids, the polymers are considered to be valuable taxonomic markers for the Nocardiopsis species and subspecies. The (13)C NMR spectra of the polymers, data on the products of their chemical degradation, and distinguishing constituents of whole cell walls derived from teichoic acids are discussed, which are useful for identification of certain polymers and members of the genus Nocardiopsis at the species and subspecies level in microbiological practice.
The presence of teichoic acids in a number of streptomycetes led to the conclusion that these biopolymers were widely spread in genus Streptomyces. The nature of the teichoic acid present in the mycelium was determined by extracting it with 10% trichloroacetic acid, precipitating it with ethanol and identifying the precipitated polymer by partial acid and alkali hydrolysis to alditol, alditol phosphates and glycosylalditol phosphates. Most strains examined in this survey contained glycerol or ribitol teichoic acids; in some cases neither type was detected. Structurally teichoic acids closely resemble those of other genera of gram-positive bacteria and in many cases represent poly(glycerol phosphate) and poly(ribitol phosphate) chains. The proportion of alditol residues bearing sugar substituents varied widely. Three species of genus Streptoverticillium contained glycerol teichoic acids. It is believed that some of the data presented in this paper might be used with some success in taxonomic studies of streptomycetes.
Pus hc h i no, Moscow
Region, RussiaCell walls of the three Nocardiopsis albus subsp. albus strains, DSM 43377? 43378 and 43120 contain structurally identical teichoic acids. The cell wall of each strain has three distinct types of teichoic acids: (1) unsubstituted 3,5-poly(ribito1 phosphate), (2) 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate) partially substituted at C-2 with a-N-acetylglucosamine residues, and (3) 1,5-poly(ribitol phosphate) with each ribitol unit carrying a 2,&pyruvate ketal group. Types 1 and 3 are reported in prokaryotes for the first time. The structure of the teichoic acids was elucidated by chemical analysis and NMR-spectroscopic methods. Structural identity of the teichoic acids from the three strains belonging to the same species may demonstrate the species-specif icity of these polymers.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.