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Biomedical subjects

J Baddiley

Publications and source records attributed to J Baddiley.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1972

Lipid intermediates in the biosynthesis of the wall teichoic acid in Staphylococcus lactis 13.

1. Particulate enzyme systems have been prepared from Staphylococcus lactis I3 which effect the synthesis of wall teichoic acid (a polymer containing a repeating unit in which d-glycerol 1-phosphate is attached to the 4-position on N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate) from the nucleotide precursors CDP-glycerol and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine. By using nucleotides labelled with (32)P and (14)C it has been shown that the synthesis proceeds via lipid intermediates. 2. Two intermediates have been found. In one of these N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate is present, whereas in the other the repeating unit of the teichoic acid occurs. 3. The simultaneous formation of the teichoic acid, a poly-(N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate) and an unidentified lipid, together with the poor ability of most particulate systems to synthesize polymer and the instability of the lipid intermediates themselves, have interfered with pulse-labelling experiments. Nevertheless, the biosynthetic sequence has been elucidated. It is concluded that the intermediates are derivatives of undecaprenol phosphate.

Carbon Isotopes↗
PubMed1972

The lipid-teichoic acid complex in the cytoplasmic membrane of Streptococcus faecalis N.C.I.B. 8191.

1. A lipid-teichoic acid complex was isolated from Streptococcus faecalis N.C.I.B. 8191. The covalent nature of the linkage between teichoic acid and lipid was established. 2. The complex exhibits macromolecular properties in solution, and ultracentrifugation studies show that these are due to micelle formation. 3. From chemical studies it is concluded that the teichoic acid is a poly(glycerol phosphate) in which some of the glycerol hydroxyl groups possess kojibiosyl [2-O-alpha-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha-d- glucopyranosyl] substituents, together with d-alanine ester residues. 4. The lipid is 1-kojibiosyl diglyceride, already known as a membrane component of this organism, with probably a phosphatidyl substituent. The phosphatidyl kojibiosyl diglyceride is attached to the teichoic acid through a phosphodiester linkage, and the chain of the teichoic acid contains 28-35 units. 5. Although the complex represents the whole of the membrane teichoic acid in this organism, only about 12% of the membrane glycolipid is associated with teichoic acid. 6. Two phosphatidyl glycolipids, closely resembling that bearing the teichoic acid, were isolated from the lipids of the organism and were partly characterized.

Chromatography, Gas↗
PubMed1972

The type-specific substance from Pneumococcus type 13.

1. The type-specific substance, S.13, from Pneumococcus type 13 was subjected to hydrolysis with alkali, followed by enzymic dephosphorylation, to yield a pentasaccharide. 2. The pentasaccharide, corresponding to the dephosphorylated repeating unit of S.13, was shown to be O-beta-d-galactopyranosyl-(1-->4)-O-beta- d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-O-beta-d- galactofuranosyl-(1-->4)-O-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-d- glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-ribitol. 3. The phosphodiester linkages in S.13 join the hydroxyl group at position 1 of ribitol and the hydroxyl group at position 4 of a galactopyranosyl residue in the next repeating unit. 4. Ester groups, presumably O-acetyl, are located on positions 2 or 3 of most glucopyranosyl residues in S.13. 5. A partial structure for S.13 is proposed.

Chromatography, Paper↗
PubMed1972

The location of N-acetylgalactosamine in the walls of Bacillus subtilis 168.

The N-acetylgalactosamine in the walls of Bacillus subtilis 168 occurs in two polymers. One of these contains N-acetylgalactosamine, glucose and phosphorus and is attached to the peptidoglycan through an alkali-labile bond; preliminary studies indicate that a repeating unit of this polymer is glucosyl-N-acetylgalactosamine 1-phosphate. N-Acetylgalactosamine is also associated with the peptidoglycan in a component that is not converted into the free sugar or other soluble compounds on treatment of the walls with alkali. The two polymers containing N-acetylgalactosamine are released on autolysis of the walls and can be separated by ion-exchange chromatography. As glucose 6-phosphate is produced by gentle hydrolysis of the wall with acid a third phosphate polymer, poly(glucose 1-phosphate), may occur in this wall. However, as no polymer with this structure could be separated from that containing galactosamine, its existence has not been established unequivocally. The methods described permit the study of variations in N-acetylgalactosamine content with respect to growth conditions.

Bacillus subtilis↗
PubMed1971

A polymer of glucose and N-acetylgalactosamine 1-phosphate in the wall of Micrococcus sp. A1.

1. The walls of Micrococcus sp. A1contain about 43% of a phosphorylated polymer. It was extracted with cold trichloroacetic acid and purified by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. 2. The polymer contained equimolar amounts of d-glucose, N-acetylgalactosamine and phosphate, and was readily hydrolysed under gentle acidic conditions to a phosphorylated disaccharide. 3. Chemical and enzymic degradation indicated that this was 3-O-alpha-d-glucopyranosyl-N-acetylgalactosamine with a phosphomonoester group at the 6-position on the glucose. 4. Related degradation of the polymer itself indicated that the repeating structure was the disaccharide with a phosphodiester residue joining the 1-position on galactosamine to the 6-position on glucose in a neighbouring unit. This polymer is thus another example of the increasing number of microbial wall polymers or teichoic acids possessing sugar 1-phosphate linkages.

Borohydrides↗
PubMed1971

The biosynthesis of galactofuranosyl residues in galactocarolose.

1. Cell-free extracts of Penicillium charlesii G. Smith were used in a study of the biosynthesis of the galactofuranose polymer, galactocarolose. 2. UDP-glucose and UDP-galactopyranose were precursors of galactocarolose and it was shown that the galactofuranose residues in the polymer were formed from glucose without fission of the hexose carbon chain. 3. A new nucleotide, UDP-alpha-d-galactofuranose, was formed by the system and was a major product when polymer synthesis was inhibited by F(-) or Zn(2+); the nucleotide was isolated and its structure determined. 4. UDP-alpha-d-galactofuranose was efficiently utilized for polymer synthesis and shown to be formed from the pyranose nucleotides. 5. A route for the biosynthesis of galactocarolose, involving a novel ring contraction of the hexose residue while still attached to the nucleotide, is proposed.

Carbon Isotopes↗
PubMed1971

Further studies on the glycerol teichoic acid of walls of Staphylococcus lactis I3. Location of the phosphodiester groups and their susceptibility to hydrolysis with alkali.

1. The teichoic acid from walls of Staphylococcus lactis I3 is readily degraded in dilute alkali. 2. Degradation proceeds by selective hydrolysis of that phosphodiester group attached to an alcoholic hydroxyl group of the N-acetylglucosamine and gives a repeating unit in high yield. 3. Further studies on a different repeating unit isolated by partial acid hydrolysis have shown that the glycerol diphosphate is attached to the 4-hydroxyl group of the N-acetylglucosamine and not to the 3-hydroxyl group as was proposed earlier. 4. The susceptibility towards hydrolysis by alkali of other structural types of teichoic acid has been examined and found to vary markedly according to their structure.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗