Information on the prevalence, compositions, and structures of anionic carbohydrate-containing polymers of cell walls of Gram-positive bacteria is summarized. The data suggest that these polymers are important for normal functioning of bacterial cells and require further studies. Structural data on teichoic acids found in the literature published over the last few years are discussed. This is a very diverse class of polymers whose structure-specific pathways of degradation were studied and NMR spectra were examined. Unique comprehensive tables of 13C-NMR spectroscopic data (mainly obtained by the authors) on these polymers are given in the Appendix. Other tables summarize data on teichuronic acids, sugar-phosphate polymers, acid polysaccharides, and structural variants of bonds between acid polysaccharides and peptidoglycans known from the literature. Functions of anionic polymers and their possible chemotaxonomic applications are discussed

13C-NMR, NMR, structure, cell wall, composition, teichoic acid, teichuronic acid, Gram-positive, gram-positive bacteria, taxonomy

13C NMR data:
Linkage	Residue	C1	C2	C3	C4	C5	C6
6,3,4	bDGlcp	105.4	74.8	76.0	79.7	77.5	62.2
6,3	bDGlcp	103.6	73.8	76.0	79.7	77.5	62.2
6,2	Ac	175.8	23.6
6	bDGalpN	102.7	52.4	81.6	68.7	75.3	61.6
2	Ac	175.8	23.3
	aDGalpN	99.7	51.1	68.7	69.4	71.2	69.4


1H NMR data:
missing...

There is only one chemically distinct structure:

SVGMWSMILES3D molIonize

 

[*]O[C@@H]1[C@@H](CO)O[C@@H](O[C@@H]2[C@@H](CO)O[C@@H](O[C@H]3[C@@H](O)[C@@H](CO)O[C@@H](OC[C@H]4O[C@H]([*])[C@H](NC(C)=O)[C@@H](O)[C@H]4O)[C@@H]3NC(C)=O)[C@H](O)[C@H]2O)[C@H](O)[C@H]1O

730.67 g/mol (C₂₈H₄₆R₂N₂O₂₀, R = next and previous repeats, not counted in mol weight)

The teichuronic acid of Bacillus licheniformis A.T.C.C. 9945 grown under phosphate limitation was isolated from the cell walls and purified by ion-exchange and Sephadex chromatography. The detailed structure of the polysaccharide was established by methylation analysis, periodate oxidation and partial acid hydrolysis. The polymer is composed of tetrasaccharide repeating units with the structure [GlcA β(1→4)GlcA β(1→3)GalNAc β(1→6)GalNAc α(1→4)n. 13C n.m.r. analysis has confirmed most of the structural features of the polysaccharide and, in particular, the anomeric configurations and linkage positions of substituents. The teichuronic acid from glucose-limited cells was identical with that from cells grown under phosphate limitation.

13C NMR data:
Linkage	Residue	C1	C2	C3	C4	C5	C6
6,3,4	bDGlcp	103.6	73.8	76.0	79.7	77.5	62.2
6,3	bDGlcp	105.4	74.8	76.0	79.7	77.5	62.2
6,2	Ac	175.8	23.6
6	bDGalpN	102.7	52.4	81.6	68.7	75.3	61.6
2	Ac	175.8	23.3
	aDGalpN	99.7	51.1	68.7	69.4	71.2	69.4


1H NMR data:
missing...

There is only one chemically distinct structure:

SVGMWSMILES3D molIonize

 

[*]O[C@@H]1[C@@H](CO)O[C@@H](O[C@@H]2[C@@H](CO)O[C@@H](O[C@H]3[C@@H](O)[C@@H](CO)O[C@@H](OC[C@H]4O[C@H]([*])[C@H](NC(C)=O)[C@@H](O)[C@H]4O)[C@@H]3NC(C)=O)[C@H](O)[C@H]2O)[C@H](O)[C@H]1O

730.67 g/mol (C₂₈H₄₆R₂N₂O₂₀, R = next and previous repeats, not counted in mol weight)