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Peptidoglycan .Types of Bacterial Cell Walls and their Taxonomic ...

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432 SCHLEIFER AND KANDLER BACTERIOL REV.<br />

rence <strong>of</strong> significant amounts <strong>of</strong> a lipoproteinpolysaccharide<br />

complex as is typical for gramnegative<br />

bacteria. This latter character is the<br />

reason why this organism is excluded from the<br />

genus Micrococcus (31, 32). The unique peptidoglycan<br />

type supports this exclusion.<br />

A few gram-positive cocci contain Ser in the<br />

interpeptide bridge <strong>of</strong> the peptidoglycan (Fig.<br />

14c <strong>and</strong> d), either combined with Ala or with<br />

D-Glu. These organisms differ from typical<br />

micrococci by <strong>their</strong> significant lower GC ratio<br />

(Table 18). They may be excluded from the<br />

genus Micrococcus.<br />

The peptidoglycan <strong>of</strong> two other gram-positive<br />

cocci is similar to that <strong>of</strong> staphylococci. The<br />

interpeptide bridge contains six Gly <strong>and</strong> one<br />

L-Ala residues. But in contrast to the peptidoglycan<br />

<strong>of</strong> some staphylococci in which L-Ala<br />

occurs at the C-terminus <strong>of</strong> the interpeptide<br />

bridge (Fig. 12c), L-Ala is the N-terminus <strong>of</strong> the<br />

interpeptide bridge in these two organisms (Fig.<br />

14e). As in staphylococci the cell walls <strong>of</strong> both<br />

strains show a rather high phosphate content,<br />

but the organisms do not produce acid from<br />

glucose under anaerobic conditions. The GC<br />

content <strong>of</strong> 49% (203) indicates a separate position<br />

(distinct from either Micrococcus or<br />

Staphylococcus).<br />

M. rhenanus var. miyamizu CCM 2142 contains<br />

L, L-Dpm instead <strong>of</strong> L-Lys in its peptide<br />

subunit (Fig. 15a). This type <strong>of</strong> peptidoglycan<br />

<strong>and</strong> the high GC content indicate that the<br />

organism may belong to the genus Arthrobacter<br />

(see below).<br />

- G-M-G-<br />

L- Ala<br />

D-Glu -a (NH2)<br />

LLys<br />

- Glya- L-Glu<br />

IL-Ornl y<br />

L-Ala_L-Glu b<br />

D-Ala<br />

L- Ser_-- L-Ala-L Ala.---<br />

L- Ser _-(L-Serl D-Glu d<br />

*- Gly.- Glya-Gly.-Gly.--Gly.-Gly-- L-Ala.--e<br />

Gly_- Gly f<br />

c<br />

D- Ala<br />

L -Lys<br />

L-Or n)<br />

FIG. 14. Fragments <strong>of</strong> the primary structures <strong>of</strong><br />

peptidoglycans found in micrococci <strong>of</strong> doubtful taxonomic<br />

position (A3a, A3f3, A4a) listed in Table 18. (a)<br />

L-Lys-Gly-L-Glu; (b) L-Lys-L-Ala-L-Glu; (c)<br />

L-Lys- L-Ser- L-A la2; (d) L-Lys- L-Ser(2 )-D-Glu; (e)<br />

L-Lys-Gly,-L-Ala; (f) L-Orn-Gly2-<br />

A rather unique peptidoglycan type was<br />

found among a small group <strong>of</strong> gram-positive<br />

cocci (Table 18). This peptidoglycan contains<br />

m-Dprii, <strong>and</strong> the interpeptide bridge is made<br />

up <strong>of</strong> two D-Glu residues (Fig. 15b). With the<br />

exception <strong>of</strong> the peptidoglycan <strong>of</strong> S. lactis CCM<br />

2432, the a-carboxyl group <strong>of</strong> D-Glu <strong>of</strong> the<br />

peptide subunit is substituted by glycine<br />

amide. Almost the same type <strong>of</strong> peptidoglycan<br />

was found among some Arthrobacter sp. (see<br />

below). The only difference is that the peptidoglycan<br />

<strong>of</strong> these arthrobacters contains an<br />

additional amide group. The carboxyl group <strong>of</strong><br />

m-Dpm not involved in the peptide linkage is<br />

TABLE 18. <strong>Peptidoglycan</strong> types <strong>of</strong> micrococci <strong>of</strong> doubtful taxonomic position<br />

Varia- tion Type Fig. Strain Reference %GC Reer- ence<br />

A3a<br />

A3a<br />

A3<br />

A3,<br />

A4a<br />

A4a<br />

A4a<br />

A4a<br />

A4.,<br />

L-Lys-L-Ser-L-Ala2<br />

L-Lys-Gly,-L-Ala<br />

L-Orn-Gly2<br />

L, L-Dpm-Gly<br />

L-Lys-Gly-L-Glu<br />

L-Lys-L-Ala-L-Glu<br />

L-Lys-L-Ser2-D-Glu<br />

L-Lys-L-Ser-D-Glu<br />

m-Dpm-D-Glu2<br />

14c<br />

14e<br />

14e<br />

14f<br />

15a<br />

14a<br />

14b<br />

14d<br />

14d<br />

15b<br />

15b<br />

15b<br />

15b<br />

Sarcina oliva CCM 250<br />

Micrococcus CCM 168<br />

Micrococcus CCM 1405<br />

M. radiodurans ATCC 13939<br />

M. rhenanus var. miyamizu CCM<br />

2142<br />

M. luteus ATCC 398<br />

M. freudenreichii ATCC 407<br />

M. nishinomiyaensis CCM 2140<br />

M. cyaneus CCM 856<br />

M. varians NCTC 7281<br />

M. luteus CCM 2136, 2137<br />

M. conglomeratus CCM 2134<br />

2135 (ATCC 19101, 19102)<br />

S. lactis CCM 2432 (NCTC 7567)<br />

Schleifer et al.,<br />

manuscript in<br />

preparation<br />

109, 340<br />

Schleifer et al.,<br />

manuscript in<br />

preparation<br />

271<br />

271<br />

Schleifer et al.,<br />

manuscript in<br />

preparation<br />

39<br />

39<br />

39<br />

39<br />

39<br />

54.2<br />

49.3<br />

49.3<br />

66<br />

70.5<br />

66<br />

59<br />

67.8<br />

63.0<br />

72.4<br />

70.6<br />

71.2<br />

71.4<br />

72.0<br />

71.2<br />

203<br />

203<br />

203<br />

203<br />

203<br />

324<br />

24<br />

203<br />

203<br />

418<br />

203<br />

203<br />

203<br />

203<br />

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