The teichoic acids (TAs) of type strains, viz. Bacillus licheniformis VKM B-511T and Bacillus pumilus VKM B-508T, as well as phylogenetically close bacteria VKM B-424, VKM B-1554, and VKM B-711 previously assigned to Bacillus pumilus on the basis of morphological, physiological, and biochemical properties, were investigated. Three polymers were found in the cell wall of each of the 5 strains under study. Strains VKM B-508T, VKM B-424, and VKM B-1554 contained polymers of the same core: unsubstituted 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate) (TA I) and 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate) with O-D-Ala and N-acetyl-a-D-glucosamine substituents (TA II and TA III', respectively). The cell walls of two remaining strains contained TA I, TA II, and a poly(glycosylpolyol phosphate) with the following structure of repeating units: -6)-a-D-GlcpNAc(1-1)-snGro-(3-P-(TA III'') in 'Bacillus pumilus' VKM B-711 (100% 16S rRNA gene similarity with the type strain of Bacillus safensis) and -6)-a-D-Galp-(1-2)-snGro-(3-P-(TA III''') in Bacillus licheniformis VKM B-511T. The simultaneous presence of three different TAs in the cell walls was confirmed by the NMR spectroscopic DOSY methods. The structure of the polymers and localization of O-D-Ala residues were investigated by the chemical and NMR spectroscopic methods.

NMR spectroscopy, teichoic acid, Bacillus licheniformis, taxonomy, Bacillus pumilus

13C NMR data:
Linkage	Residue	C1	C2	C3
0	x?Gro	67.8	70.9	67.8
	P


1H NMR data:
Linkage	Residue	H1	H2	H3
0	x?Gro	3.95-4.03	4.05	3.95-4.03
	P


1H/13C HSQC data:
Linkage	Residue	C1/H1	C2/H2	C3/H3
0	x?Gro	67.8/3.95-4.03	70.9/4.05	67.8/3.95-4.03
	P

There is only one chemically distinct structure:

SVGMWSMILES3D molIonize

 

*OCC(O)COP(*)(=O)O

154.058 g/mol (C₃H₇R₂O₅P, R = next and previous repeats, not counted in mol weight)