The Chemical Composition of the Cell Walls of Some Thermophilic Bacilli

Abstract

SUMMARYThe chemical compositions of the cell walls of one strain each of Bacillus stearothermophilus and B. coagulans prepared from organisms grown a t 37" and 55" are compared. The higher temperature of cultivation resulted-in an increased proportion of mucopeptide and a decreased proportion of teichoic acid in the walls of both organisms. A higher lipid content than is usual in Gram-positive organisms was found in these walls. The teichoic acid from B. stearothermophilus walls was a glycerophosphate polymer substituted with glucose and alanine ; evidence suggesting the presence of 2,3-phosphodiester linkages in this polymer is presented. The teichoic acid from B. coagulans walls was also a glycerophosphate polymer, substituted with two neutral sugars, glucose and galactose, but lacking amino acid substituents hitherto reported as characteristic of teichoic acids.

Studies on the Group F Antigen of Lactobacilli: Isolation of a Teichoic Acid-Lipid Complex from Lactobacillus fermenti NCTC 6991

“…Conditions for the acidic and alkaline hydrolysis of teichoic acids, enzymic dephosphorylation, characterization of glycosides and the identifica-Teichoic acid-lipid complex from L. fermenti 295 tion of products by paper chromatography, unless stated in the text, are essentially as described previously (Forrester & Wicken, 1966;Wicken, 1966 (Dudzinski, 1967) for fatty acids. Isolation ofglycol@id.…”

A New Heterofermentative Lactobacillus Species With Meso-Diaminopimelic Acid in Peptidoglycan, Lactobacillus Vaccinostercus Kozaki and Okada Sp. Nov.

“…Moreover, Sporolactobacillus inulinus (2, 4), Lactobacillus plantarum var. mobile (5), Lactobacillus ruminis (6), Lactobacillus vitulinus (6), and Bacillus coagulans (7) have been considered as intermediates between the genus Lactobacillus and the genus Bacillus, in point of the type of peptidoglycan. L. plantarum, L. ruminis, and L. vitulinus are the species in the genus Lactobacillus which contain meso-DAP in peptidoglycan.…”

On the Taxonomic Status of 'Quin's Oval' Organisms

“…Alanine, threonine, glycine, serine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, methionine, valine, leucine and isoleucine appeared as major components ; arginine, histidine, lysine, cysteine, proline, tyrosine and diaminopimelic acid were shown as minor components. Diaminopimelic acid was further characterized by paper chromatography in several solvent systems (Forrester & Wicken, 1966) and by high voltage paper electrophoresis. On paper, but not on thin-layer plates, the characteristic yellow ninhydrin colour of diaminopimelic acid ' spots ' was observed.…”

“…Acid hydrolysis of cell walls and chromatographic identification of hydrolysis products was done by methods described previously (Forrester 8z Wicken, 1966) with the addition of thin-layer chromatography on cellulose + silica gel for amino acid identification (Turner & Redgwell, 1966). Quantitative analyses of phosphorus, lipid and hexosamines were made as previously described (Forrester & Wicken, 1966), neutral sugars by the quantitative paper chromatographic method of Wilson (1959) and nitrogen by combustion analysis (Coleman Nitrogen Analyser).…”

“…Preparation of cell walls of Q.O. Cell walls were prepared and purified essentially as described by Forrester & Wicken (1966).…”