The glycerol teichoic acid from the walls of Staphylococcus albus N.T.C.C. 7944.

The teichoic acids in and beneath the walls of staphylococci are particularly interesting, not only with regard to structure and function but also because of their serological properties. The groupantigenic polysaceharide A from Staphylococcus aureus is indistinguishable from the wall teichoic acid from that organism, and a similar preparation from S. albi4s strains is serologically indistinguishable from the wall teichoic acid (Haukenes, Ellwood, Baddiley & Oeding, 1961); related serological properties have been demonstrated with other strains of staphylococci (Sanderson, Juergens & Strominger, 1961). Other wall teichoic acids have been implicated in serological reactions (Baddiley & Davison, 1961), and the intracellular teichoic acid from group D streptococci has been identified as the group antigen (Elliott, 1962; also Elliott, Wicken & Baddiley, 1963). The teichoic acid in the walls of S. aureus H is a ribitol phosphate polymer with N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues at position 4 of each D-ribitol 5phosphate unit. D-Alanime ester residues are attached to position 2 or 3 ofribitol and both aand ,-glucosidic linkages occur (Baddiley, Buchanan, RajBhandary & Sanderson, 1962a; Baddiley, Buchanan, Martin & RajBhandary, 1962 b). Although other strains of S. aureus have not been examined in such detail, it appears that their wall teichoic acid is composed of ribitol phosphate, alanine and N-acetylglucosamine (Armstrong et at. 1959; Sanderson et al. 1961; unpublished work by A. L. Davison). Organisms described generally as S. albus strains are closely related to S. aureus; the one studied here is probably more accurately described as S. lactis (S. albus) N.T.C.C. 7944. A preliminary examination of walls of this and related strains by Dr J. J. Arnstrong and later by Mr A. L. Davison showed that, despite the close relationship between aureus and atbu strains, the latter contained glycerol teichoic acids in their walls. The more detailed examination described here has shown that the teichoic acid from strain N.T.C.C. 7944 is a glycerol phosphate polymer with D-alanine ester residues and N-acetylgalactosamine attached glycosidically to some of the glycerol units. MATERIALS AND METHODS