Teichoic Acid Hydrolase Activity in Soil Bacteria

Abstract

Bacterial phosphodiesterases have been found that are capable of cleaving the backbone of teichoic acid. Such enzymes have not been reported previously. An aerobic, gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium producing this activity was detected and isolated by autoradiography of soil suspensions growing on minimal medium containing (32)P-labeled Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6051 cell walls as the sole phosphorus source. Broken-cell preparations are capable of depolymerizing teichoic acids in media of low ionic strength at near-neutral pH values. An active teichoicase is also present in B. subtilis, ATCC 6051 (the Marburg strain), especially in sporulating cultures.