Amino Acids, Amino Sugars and Sugars Present in the Cell Wall of some Strains of Streptococcus pyogenes

Abstract

SUMMARY: Hydrolysates of the cell walls of 26 strains of group A streptococci were examined by paper chromatography. In all cases lysine, glutamic acid, alanine, glucosamine, muramic acid and rhamnose were found as the principal components. The mean relative proportion of lysine: glutamic acid:alanine was 1.1:1:4. Thus even when a number of strains of a particular bacterial species was tested, there was good uniformity in the cell-wall composition. Samples of cell-wall material which remained undigested after treatment with proteolytic enzymes all contained small amounts of several amino acids. It seems probable that a small amount of polypeptide or protein remained firmly attached to the cell walls examined.