Sphere-Rod Morphogenesis in Arthrobacter crystallopoietes II. Peptides of the Cell Wall Peptidoglycan

Activity of an autolytic N-acetylmuramidase during sphere-rod morphogenesis in Arthrobacter crystallopoietes.

Survival of Arthrobacter crystallopoietes during prolonged periods of extreme desiccation.

Cells of Arthrobacter crystallopoietes mixed in sand and air-dried have survived for up to 6 months after an initial period in which approximately half the cells lost their viability. Comparative survival curves have been obtained from inoculated sands maintained under CaSO(4) or P(2)O(5). Selections for more desiccation-resistant progeny capable of surviving the initial period were unsuccessfu...

The biosynthesis of the cross-linking peptides in the cell wall peptidoglycan of Staphylococcus aureus.

The biosynthesis of pentaglycine, the cross-linking peptide in the cell wall peptidoglycan of Sfaphylococcus aureus, requires glycyl-tRNA as a donor of glycine. The pentaglycine is introduced by sequential addition of glycine from glycyltRNA to the e-amino group of the L-lysine residue of the pentapeptide in the lipid-linked precursor. The direction of elongation of the pentaglycine chain is fr...

The Mycobacterial Cell Wall--Peptidoglycan and Arabinogalactan.

The mycobacterial bacillus is encompassed by a remarkably elaborate cell wall structure. The mycolyl-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan (mAGP) complex is essential for the viability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and maintains a robust basal structure supporting the upper "myco-membrane." M. tuberculosis peptidoglycan, although appearing to be unexceptional at first glance, contains a number of uniqu...

Cell wall peptidoglycan architecture in Bacillus subtilis.

The bacterial cell wall is essential for viability and shape determination. Cell wall structural dynamics allowing growth and division, while maintaining integrity is a basic problem governing the life of bacteria. The polymer peptidoglycan is the main structural component for most bacteria and is made up of glycan strands that are cross-linked by peptide side chains. Despite study and speculat...