title: A polymer of N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate in the wall of Staphylococcus lactis 2102.
abstract: 1. Walls of Staphylococcus lactis 2102 contain about 40% of a phosphorylated polysaccharide, which was isolated by extraction with cold trichloroacetic acid, with dilute NaOH, and also by digestion with a Flavobacterium peptidase. 2. The purified polymer contained equimolar proportions of N-acetylglucosamine and phosphate as its sole constituents and was readily hydrolysed under gentle acidic conditions to N-acetylglucosamine 6-phosphate. 3. Studies on the intact polymer showed that it is linear and that adjacent acetamido sugar units are joined by phosphodiester bonds between their 1- and 6-positions, the glycosidic linkages having the alpha-configuration. This polymer is thus the simplest of the known microbial wall polymers possessing sugar 1-phosphate linkages. 4. Alkali degradation of the extracted polymer proceeds predominantly in a stepwise manner from the reducing end, but evidence was obtained for the direct hydrolysis of some of the inter-unit phosphodiester groups.
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids; D000468:Alkalies; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000032:analysis; D002854:Chromatography, Paper; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006868:Hydrolysis; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010504:Periodic Acid; D010710:Phosphates / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011108:Polymers / Q000032:analysis; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000032:analysis* / Q000254:growth & development; D014238:Trichloroacetic Acid
chemical_list: D000143:Acids; D000468:Alkalies; D010710:Phosphates; D011108:Polymers; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D010504:Periodic Acid; D014238:Trichloroacetic Acid; D005944:Glucosamine