Elongation of teichuronic acid chains by a wall-membrane preparation from Micrococcus luteus

J Bacteriol. 1982 May;150(2):649-56. doi: 10.1128/jb.150.2.649-656.1982.

Abstract

A wall-plus-membrane preparation from Micrococcus luteus catalyzes the incorporation of [14C]glucose from UDP-[14C]glucose, into two fractions of teichuronic acid, which is the cell wall polysaccharide consisting of alternating residues of glucose and N-acetylmannosaminuronic acid (ManNAcUA). Membrane-associated teichuronic acid was extracted from the wall-membrane fraction of reaction mixtures by sodium dodecyl sulfate. The synthesis of membrane-associated teichuronic acid required UDP-glucose, UDP-ManNAcUA, and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine and was inhibited by tunicamycin. Glucose incorporated into wall-bound teichuronic acid remained in wall fragments after extraction with sodium dodecyl sulfate, and its incorporation required UDP-glucose and UDP-ManNAcUA (but not UDP-N-acetylglucosamine) and was insensitive to tunicamycin. Radioactive material incorporated into wall-bound teichuronic acid could be released by treatment with mild acid or by digestion with lysozyme, indicating that the wall-bound teichuronic acid was covalently linked to peptidoglycan. There were about 600 pmol of wall-bound teichuronic acid acceptor sites for glucose per mg of protein as measured in incorporation reaction mixtures lacking UDP-ManNAcUA. In the presence of both UDP-glucose and UDP-ManNAcUA, elongation of teichuronic acid acceptor sites occurred, with the addition of six to eight disaccharide units to each acceptor site.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Triphosphate / pharmacology
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Cell Wall / metabolism
  • Micrococcus / metabolism*
  • Micrococcus / ultrastructure
  • Peptidoglycan / metabolism
  • Tunicamycin / pharmacology
  • Uridine Diphosphate Glucose / metabolism
  • Uridine Diphosphate N-Acetylglucosamine / metabolism
  • Uridine Diphosphate Sugars / metabolism
  • Uronic Acids / biosynthesis*

Substances

  • Peptidoglycan
  • Uridine Diphosphate Sugars
  • Uronic Acids
  • Tunicamycin
  • uridine diphosphate N-acetyl-D-mannosaminuronic acid
  • teichuronic acid
  • Uridine Diphosphate N-Acetylglucosamine
  • Adenosine Triphosphate
  • Uridine Diphosphate Glucose