Further studies on the teichoic acid from Bacillus subtilis walls

Abstract

The ribitol teichoic acid from the walls of Bacillus subtilis has been hydrolyzed with alkali and the products were separated by ion-exchange chromatography. The main hydrolysis products were 4-O-([beta]-D-glucopyranosyl)-D-ribitol 1-phosphate and its isomeric 2-phosphate. These were separated from each other and their structures determined by periodate oxidation. Minor hydrolysis products included the l5-and 2:5-diphosphates of glucosylribitol. The structures assigned to these followed from periodate oxidation. The oxidation product from the 2:5-diphosphate gave a ribitol diphosphate when treated with alkali. The structure previously suggested for this ribitol teichoic acid is confirmed by these studies. Oxidation of the teichoic acid with buffered periodate before and after removal of alanine ester residues has shown that the amino acid is attached to a hydroxyl at either the 2- or 3-position in the ribitol residues.