Incorporation of glycine into the cell wall glycopeptide in Staphylococcus aureus: role of sRNA and lipid intermediates.

Abstract

Glycine is enzymatically incorporated into the cell wall glycopeptide of S. aureus as glycyl[long dash]soluble ribonucleic-acid. The glycine chains in this product are open, and their closure is required in the cell wall assembly. MurNAc(-pentapeptide)-P-lipid was a less adequate acceptor of glycine in the in-vitro system. The attachment of these glyci ne residues to lipid intermediates, which are found in the cell membrane, serves as a means by which intracellular precursors are utilized for the synthesis of the cell wall. These compounds are probably transport intermediates.