ABSTRACT
Bacteroides forsythus is the first wild-type or mutant bacterium found to require exogenous N-acetylmuramic acid for proliferation and maintenance of cell shape. This implies so far unknown pathways for peptidoglycan synthesis and a strict dependence of B. forsythus on other bacteria in its oral habitat. Addition of N-acetylmuramic acid to conventional bacteriological media allows routine cultivation of this fastidious organism.
Subject(s)
Bacteroides/growth & development , Muramic Acids/pharmacology , Sugar Acids/pharmacology , Bacteroides/drug effects , Culture Media/analysis , Growth Substances/analysis , Growth Substances/pharmacology , Muramic Acids/biosynthesisABSTRACT
The hypothesis that the biosynthesis of the glycolyl group of muramic acid in the peptidoglycan of Mycobacterium phlei is catalyzed by a N-acetyl hydroxylase is strongly supported by the experiments reported in this paper. 18O is incorporated into the N-substituent of muramic acid isolated from the peptidoglycan of M. phlei grown under pure oxygen enriched with the 18O isotope.
Subject(s)
Muramic Acids/biosynthesis , Mycobacterium phlei/metabolism , Mycobacterium/metabolism , Oxygen/metabolism , Sugar Acids/biosynthesis , Chromatography, Gas , Isotope Labeling , Oxygen IsotopesSubject(s)
Bacteria/metabolism , Oligopeptides/metabolism , Peptidoglycan/biosynthesis , Phosphotransferases/metabolism , Staphylococcus/enzymology , Bacillus/metabolism , Carbon Radioisotopes , Enterococcus faecalis/metabolism , Glycine/pharmacology , Kinetics , Lactobacillus/metabolism , Muramic Acids/biosynthesis , Oligopeptides/biosynthesis , Organophosphorus Compounds/metabolism , Phosphotransferases/physiology , Staphylococcus/drug effects , Staphylococcus/metabolism , Streptomyces/metabolism , Structure-Activity Relationship , Tritium , Uracil Nucleotides/metabolism , Uridine Diphosphate Sugars/biosynthesisSubject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Escherichia coli/drug effects , Peptidoglycan/biosynthesis , Alanine/metabolism , Amino Acids/metabolism , Ampicillin/pharmacology , Bacitracin/pharmacology , Carbon Isotopes , Chromatography, Paper , Cycloserine/pharmacology , Escherichia coli/metabolism , Kinetics , Lipids/biosynthesis , Muramic Acids/biosynthesis , Penicillins/pharmacology , Pimelic Acids/metabolism , Tritium , Uridine/metabolism , Uridine Diphosphate Sugars/biosynthesis , Vancomycin/pharmacologyABSTRACT
A method for the partial purification of the uridine diphospho-N-acetylglucosamine-enolpyruvate reductase from Staphylococcus epidermidis is presented. Some properties of the enzyme, including its dependence on monovalent cation and flavine adenine dinucleotide, are discussed.
