Discontinuity of charge on cell wall poles of <i>Bacillus subtilis</i>

Sonnenfeld, E M; Beveridge, Terry J.; Doyle, Ronald J.

doi:10.1139/m85-163

Cited by 45 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…They also bind cations and thus constitute a fraction of the wall-binding capacity (127). From a series of covalent modifications of walls from B. subtilis 168, it was concluded that while both TA and peptidoglycan each contribute sites for binding metal cations, the latter would appear to provide a larger fraction (55,131,324,453). In contrast, Heckels et al (212) found that the WTA provides the larger fraction of anionic binding sites in B. subtilis W23, an organism with poly(Rbo-P) WTA.…”

Section: D-alanyl Esters In the Binding Of Ligandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Continuum of Anionic Charge: Structures and Functions ofd-Alanyl-Teichoic Acids in Gram-Positive Bacteria

Neuhaus

Baddiley

2003

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev

908

1,097

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SUMMARY Teichoic acids (TAs) are major wall and membrane components of most gram-positive bacteria. With few exceptions, they are polymers of glycerol-phosphate or ribitol-phosphate to which are attached glycosyl and d-alanyl ester residues. Wall TA is attached to peptidoglycan via a linkage unit, whereas lipoteichoic acid is attached to glycolipid intercalated in the membrane. Together with peptidoglycan, these polymers make up a polyanionic matrix that functions in (i) cation homeostasis; (ii) trafficking of ions, nutrients, proteins, and antibiotics; (iii) regulation of autolysins; and (iv) presentation of envelope proteins. The esterification of TAs with d-alanyl esters provides a means of modulating the net anionic charge, determining the cationic binding capacity, and displaying cations in the wall. This review addresses the structures and functions of d-alanyl-TAs, the d-alanylation system encoded by the dlt operon, and the roles of TAs in cell growth. The importance of dlt in the physiology of many organisms is illustrated by the variety of mutant phenotypes. In addition, advances in our understanding of d-alanyl ester function in virulence and host-mediated responses have been made possible through targeted mutagenesis of dlt. Studies of the mechanism of d-alanylation have identified two potential targets of antibacterial action and provided possible screening reactions for designing novel agents targeted to d-alanyl-TA synthesis.

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Section: D-alanyl Esters In the Binding Of Ligandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Continuum of Anionic Charge: Structures and Functions ofd-Alanyl-Teichoic Acids in Gram-Positive Bacteria

Neuhaus

Baddiley

2003

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev

908

1,097

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“…Although the ionic polymer is present throughout the wall, there is evidence to show that in B. subtilis a large amount is at the outer surface (1,2,7). This could account for the greater proportion of binding sites there (23). Negatively charged groups are also more densely clustered at the poles than on the cylinder wall, but there appear to be none in the septa (22,23).…”

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confidence: 98%

Mechanical properties of Bacillus subtilis cell walls: effects of ions and lysozyme

1991

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Bacterial threads of BacUlus subtilis have been immersed in, and redrawn from, water of various pH values, in solutions of (NH4)2SO4 and NaCI of various concentrations, and in Iysozyme solutions. The changes in the tensile strength, elastic modulus, and other mechanical properties of the bacterial cell wall due to these treatments were obtained. The data show that change in pH has little effect but that as the salt concentration is increased, the cell walls become more ductile. A high salt concentration (1 M NaCI) can reduce the modulus by a factor of 26 to 13.5 MPa at 81% relative humidity and the strength by a factor of only 2.5. Despite attacking the septal-wall region of the cellular filaments, Iysozyme has no effect on the mechanical properties. There is no significant change in the stress relaxation behavior due to any of the treatments. The dependence of mechanical properties on the salt concentration is discussed in terms of the polyelectrolyte nature of cell walls. The evidence presented in this and the accompanying paper (J. J. Thwaites and U. C. Surana, J. Bacteriol., 173:197-203, 1991) supports the idea that the peptidoglycan in bacterial cell wall is an entanglement network with a large degree of molecular flexibility, with some order but no regular structure.

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“…Sonnenfeld et al (28) reported that dilute solutions of PCF had great affinity for cell surface sites expressing high electronegativity and showed that isolated cell walls of B. subtilis could be partially differentiated by surface charge. Chemical modification of isolated walls indicated that the anionic nature of B. subtilis cell walls was due primarily to the carboxyl groups of muramyl peptides and phosphate groups of teichoic acids (29).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural differentiation of the Bacillus subtilis 168 cell wall

Graham

Beveridge

1994

J Bacteriol

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Exponential-growth-phase cultures of BaciUus subtilis 168 were probed with polycationized ferritin (PCF) or concanavalin A (localized by the addition of horseradish peroxidase conjugated to colloidal gold) to distinguish surface anionic sites and teichoic acid polymers, respectively. Isolated cell walls, lysozyme-digested cell walls, and cell walls treated with mild alkali to remove teichoic acid were also treated with PCF. After labelling, whole cells and walls were processed for electron microscopy by freeze-substitution. Thin sections of untreated cells showed a triphasic, fibrous wall extending more than 30 nm beyond the cytoplasmic membrane. Measurements of wall thickness indicated that the wall was thicker at locations adjacent to septa and at pole-cylinder junctions (P < 0.001). Labelling studies showed that at saturating concentrations the PCF probe labelled the outermost limit of the cell wall, completely surrounding individual cells. However, at limiting PCF concentrations, labelling was observed at only discrete cell surface locations adjacent to or overlying septa and at the junction between pole and cylinder. Labelling was rarely observed along the cell cylinder or directly over the poles. Cells did not label along the cylindrical wall until there was visible evidence of a developing septum. Identical labelling patterns were observed by using concanavalin A-horseradish peroxidase-colloidal gold. Neither probe appeared to penetrate between the fibers of the wall. We suggest that the fibrous appearance of the wall seen in freeze-substituted cells reflects turnover of the wall matrix, that the specificity of labelling to discrete sites on the cell surface is indicative of regions of extreme hydrolytic activity in which ot-glucose residues of the wall teichoic acids and electronegative sites (contributed by phosphate and carboxyl groups of the teichoic acids and carboxyl groups of the peptidoglycan polymers) are more readily accessible to our probes, and that the wall of exponentially growing B. subtilis cells contains regions of structural differentiation.The cell wall of Bacillus subtilis 168 is a two-polymer structure comprised virtually of teichoic acids (54%) and peptidoglycan (46%) on a per dry weight basis when cultured in Spizizen minimal medium (4,30,31). Despite this chemical simplicity, the exact mechanisms by which the wall grows, divides, and turns over have not been adequately explained (2).Numerous studies indicate that the predominant mode of wall growth involves insertion of newly synthesized wall polymers in an inside-to-outside fashion at many sites randomly distributed along the cytoplasmic membrane (21, 22). According to the surface stress theory of Koch (18), this newly inserted material is cross-linked to the existing wall fabric at the inner wall surface but is unstressed. It assumes tension only after it is pushed outwards by more recently acquired wall material. Select bonds in this "stretched" wall eventually undergo hydrolysis, turning over or releasing polymers from the cell...

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Discontinuity of charge on cell wall poles of Bacillus subtilis

Cited by 45 publications

References 16 publications

A Continuum of Anionic Charge: Structures and Functions ofd-Alanyl-Teichoic Acids in Gram-Positive Bacteria

A Continuum of Anionic Charge: Structures and Functions ofd-Alanyl-Teichoic Acids in Gram-Positive Bacteria

Mechanical properties of Bacillus subtilis cell walls: effects of ions and lysozyme

Structural differentiation of the Bacillus subtilis 168 cell wall

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