title: The site of inhibition of cell wall synthesis by 3-amino-3-deoxy-D-glucose in Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: The inhibition of growth and cell wall synthesis by 3-amino-3-deoxy-D-glucose (3-AG), which is known to be one of the constituents of the kanamycin molecule and a metabolite of Bacillus sp., was almost completely overcome by glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine in Staphylococcus aureus but scarcely affected by D-glucose and D-fructose. The antibiotic did not inhibit the incorporation of [14C]glucosamine and [3H]N-acetylglucosamine into the acid-insoluble fraction, but rather enhanced the incorporation of [14C]glucosamine. On the other hand, it inhibited the incorporation of D-[14C]fructose into the cell wall fraction but hardly affected the incorporation of D-[14C]fructose into the acid-insoluble fraction in the presence of pencillin G. Based on these results, it is suggested that the site of primary action of 3-AG is the formation of glucosamine-6-phosphate from D-fructose-6-phosphate, which is catalyzed by glucosamine synthetase [EC 2.6.1.16].
mesh_terms: D000117:Acetylglucosamine / Q000378:metabolism; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005632:Fructose / Q000378:metabolism; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007536:Isomerism; D007700:Kinetics; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005632:Fructose; D005944:Glucosamine; D000117:Acetylglucosamine