Cell Wall Constituents of Leuconostoc citrovorum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides

Abstract

The cell wall constituents of L. citrovorum 8082, L. mesenteroides 1083a and L. mesenteroides 11449 have been ascertained. All three strains contained glycerol. Glucose and rhamnose were the major reducing sugar constituents. Alanine, glutamic acid,lysine, glucosamine, and muramic acid were the principal amino acids and amino sugars in all three strains. In addition, strain 10830a contained L-serlne as a major cell wall component. Quantitative amino-acid acid analyses indicate that glutamic acid, lysine, glucosamine, muramic acid and serine may be present in the ceil walls in equlmolar amounts and that alanine is present in three to four times these quantities. The similarities and differences between the cell wall constituents of the leuco-nostocs and those of the lactobacilli and streptococci are discussed.