Choline-containing Teichoic Acid As a Structural Component of Pneumococcal Cell Wall and Its Role in Sensitivity to Lysis by an Autolytic Enzyme

摘要: The cell wall of Diplococcus pneumoniae was isolated and purified its macromolecular components were characterized in two ways: (a) by selective extractions (b) solubilization the with pneumococcal autolytic enzyme followed fractionation products. Two major could be identified. One, peptidoglycan, is composed glucosamine, muramic acid (plus phosphate), lysine, alanine, glutamic molar ratios 1.0:1.2:1.5:3.8:2.0. presence additional amino acids, namely, aspartic acid, serine, glycine, threonine (with respect to glucosamine) 0.9:1.0:1.0:0.5 also detected. other component, teichoic rich galactosamine, phosphate, choline which occur 1.0:1.65:0.9. These three constituents together make up 23% mass. After treatment walls cell-free enzyme, most material can recovered form soluble fractions are separable gel filtration. Fraction I high molecular weight contains polymers plus what appears polysaccharide backbone peptidoglycan. II lower acids alanine; these appear represent cross-linked dimers trimers peptide portion separated after sequential degradation nitrous periodate. It has already been proposed literature that antigenic C-polysaccharide pneumococcus a acid. Our studies further indicate this structural component wall. activity extracts an amidase splits bond between alanine peptidoglycan Experiments described lysis pneumococci deoxycholate occurs through participation enzyme. plays key role determining sensitivity since prepared from replaced ethanolamine found totally resistant action