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.
NCBI PubMed ID: 6263243Journal NLM ID: 2984726RPublisher: London, UK : Published by Portland Press on behalf of the Biochemical Society
Institutions: Microbiological Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
Methods: 13C NMR, 1H NMR, methylation, periodate oxidation, partial acid hydrolysis, paper chromatography, NaBH4 reduction