Attachment of the main chain to the linkage unit in biosynthesis of teichoic acids

Abstract

The main chain of teichoic acids can be assembled in cell-free membrane preparations [derived from Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus varians] by the transfer of residues from the appropriate nucleotide precursors to an incompletely characterized amphiphilic molecule, lipoteichoic acid carrier (LTC). In the cell wall, the main chain is attached to peptidoglycan through a linkage unit which is synthesized independently. In these cell-free systems, lipid intermediates carrying linkage units are also able to accept residues directly from nucleotide precursors to build up the main chain. The main chain attached to LTC was transferred from LTC to lipids containing the linkage unit. Thus, in these systems, there appear to be 2 routes to the biosynthesis of teichoic acid-linkage unit complexes, one by direct assembly of the main chain on linkage unit lipids and the other by transfer of the preassembled main chain from LTC to the linkage unit. Linkage unit lipids from different organisms were interchangeable. Linkage unit lipids were used for polymer synthesis by B. subtilis 3610, in which the teichoic acid is a poly(glycerol phosphate).