Abstract
L-Ornithine is the only diamino acid of the peptidoglycan of the gliding phototrophic Chloroflexus aurantiacus. The other constituents are L- and D-alanine, D-glutamic acid, N-acetyl-glucosamine and N-acetyl-muramic acid (in part as muramic acid-6-phosphate), all in approximate equimolar ratios to L-ornithine, aside from small amounts of glycine and histidine. Furthermore unlike typical Gram-negative bacteria, protein is not bound to this peptidoglycan. Instead, the rigid layer (sodium dodecyl sulfate insoluble cell wall fraction) contained large amounts of a complex polysaccharide consisting of sugar O-methyl ethers, hexoses and pentoses. Its binding site is presumably muramic acid-6-phosphate of the peptidoglycan.
In contrast, in Chlorobium vibrioforme f. thiosulfatophilium, meso-diaminopimelic acid was found as the only diamino acid of this peptidoglycan. As with other Gramnegative bacteria, L- and D-alanine, D-glutamic acid, N-acetyl-glucosamine and N-acetyl-muramic acid (no muramic acid-6-phosphate) were observed in approximate equimolar ratios to meso-diaminopimelic acid, except a lower D-alanine content. The rigid layer of Chlorobium vibrioforme f. thiosulfatophilum contained protein, and there were no indications for a complex polysaccharide comparable to that of Chloroflexus aurantiacus.
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Abbreviations
- Ala:
-
alanine
- A2pm:
-
diaminopimelic acid
- GC/MS:
-
combined gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry
- GlcNAc:
-
N-acetyl-glucosamine
- Glu:
-
glutamic acid
- Gly:
-
glycine
- HF:
-
hydrofluoric acid
- Lys:
-
lysine
- MurNAc:
-
N-acetyl-muramic acid
- Orn:
-
ornithine
- SDS:
-
sodium dodecyl sulfate
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Jürgens, U.J., Meißner, J., Fischer, U. et al. Orinithine as a constituent of the peptidoglycan of Chloroflexus aurantiacus, diaminopimelic acid in that of Chlorobium vibrioforme f. thiosulfatophilum . Arch. Microbiol. 148, 72–76 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00429651
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00429651