Analysis of the peptidoglycan of Rickettsia prowazekii.
In the present study, peptidoglycan from Rickettsia prowazekii, an obligate intracellular bacterium, was purified. The rickettsial peptidoglycan is like that of gram-negative bacteria; that is, it is sodium dodecyl sulfate insoluble, lysozyme sensitive, and composed of glutamic acid, alanine, and diaminopimelic acid in a molar ratio of 1.0:2.3:1.0. The small amount of lysine found in the peptidoglycan preparation suggests that a peptidoglycan-linked lipoprotein(s) may be present in the rickettsiae. D-Cycloserine, a D-alanine analog which inhibits the biosynthesis of bacterial cell walls, prevented rickettsial growth in mouse L929 cells at a high concentration and altered the morphology of the rickettsiae at a low concentration. These effects were prevented by the addition of D-alanine. This suggests that R. prowazekii contains D-alanine in the peptidoglycan and has D-Ala-D-Ala ligase and alanine racemase activities.
Pang
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Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile 36688.
Winkler
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D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D003523:Cycloserine / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007739:L Cells; D051379:Mice; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000737:chemistry*; D012283:Rickettsia prowazekii / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development
D000596:Amino Acids; D010457:Peptidoglycan; D003523:Cycloserine