title: Lipid intermediates in the biosynthesis of the wall teichoic acid in Staphylococcus lactis 13.
abstract: 1. Particulate enzyme systems have been prepared from Staphylococcus lactis I3 which effect the synthesis of wall teichoic acid (a polymer containing a repeating unit in which d-glycerol 1-phosphate is attached to the 4-position on N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate) from the nucleotide precursors CDP-glycerol and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine. By using nucleotides labelled with (32)P and (14)C it has been shown that the synthesis proceeds via lipid intermediates. 2. Two intermediates have been found. In one of these N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate is present, whereas in the other the repeating unit of the teichoic acid occurs. 3. The simultaneous formation of the teichoic acid, a poly-(N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate) and an unidentified lipid, together with the poor ability of most particulate systems to synthesize polymer and the instability of the lipid intermediates themselves, have interfered with pulse-labelling experiments. Nevertheless, the biosynthetic sequence has been elucidated. It is concluded that the intermediates are derivatives of undecaprenol phosphate.
mesh_terms: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003597:Cytosine Nucleotides / Q000378:metabolism; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000378:metabolism; D005990:Glycerol / Q000378:metabolism; D005994:Glycerophosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D006027:Glycosides / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D010756:Phosphoric Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010759:Phosphorus Isotopes; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013682:Teichoic Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014500:Uracil Nucleotides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D003597:Cytosine Nucleotides; D005994:Glycerophosphates; D006027:Glycosides; D010756:Phosphoric Acids; D010759:Phosphorus Isotopes; D013682:Teichoic Acids; D014500:Uracil Nucleotides; D005944:Glucosamine; D005990:Glycerol