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Catellatospora koreensis sp. nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from a gold-mine cave.

A new actinomycete strain, LM 042T, which was isolated from a gold-mine cave in Kongju, Republic of Korea, is described by phenotypic and genotypic characters. The organism formed short chains of non-motile spores and globose bodies from substrate mycelium. An aerial mycelium was absent. This organism was chemotaxonomically characterized by the presence of meso-diaminopimelic acid, rhamnose, xylose, glucose, mannose and ribose in whole-cell hydrolysates (a type II cell wall and a variant of sugar pattern D), a glycolyl type of muramic acid, DNA G+C content of 70.4 mol%, a type PII phospholipid pattern (phosphatidylethanolamine as a diagnostic nitrogenous phospholipid), a tetrahydrogenated menaquinone with 10 isoprene units as a major menaquinone, and fatty acid profiles predominated by iso-branched hexadecanoic acid, iso-branched pentadecanoic acid and heptadcenoic acid. A comparative analysis of 16S rDNA sequences indicated that this organism formed a distinct clade within the evolutionary radiation of the family Micromonosporaceae and clustered with members of the genus Catellatospora. The 16S rDNA similarity values between the isolate and its phylogenetic neighbours, the two subspecies of Catellatospora citrea and Catellatospora tsunoense, were 95.0-95.2% and 94.9%, respectively. An equidistant relationship was observed among the isolate, Catellatospora ferruginea and all other members of the Micromonosporaceae genera (levels of similarity 93.0-94.0%). The combination of physiological, chemotaxonomic and DNA-DNA hybridization data supported that this organism is a novel species of the genus Catellatospora, for which the name Catellatospora koreensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LM 042T (= IMSNU 50729T).

Actinomycetales↗

Structural studies on the acidic polysaccharide of Bacillus cereus AHU 1356 cell walls.

Structural studies were carried out on the acidic polymer fraction isolated from lysozyme digests of the N-acetylated cell walls of Bacillus cereus AHU 1356. The acidic polymer fraction contained glucosamine, galactose, rhamnose, glycerol and phosphorus in a molar ratio of 1:1:2:1:1, together with small amounts of glycopeptide components and muramic acid 6-phosphate. The hydrogen fluoride treatment led to removal of glycerol and phosphorus from the polymer without loss of other components. Results of the NaIO4 oxidation, methylation and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the native and dephosphorylated preparations, in combination with data of the analysis of oligosaccharides obtained from partial hydrolysis of polysaccharide, led to the most likely structure of the repeating units of the acidic polysaccharide chain, ----4)N-acetylglucosaminyl-(alpha 1----3)rhamnosyl(alpha 1----3)galactosyl(alpha 1----4)[sn-glycerol 1-phospho-2]rhamnosyl(alpha 1----.

Bacillus cereus↗

Primary structure of the peptidoglycan from the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6714.

A peptidoglycan fraction free of non-peptidoglycan components was isolated from the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6714. Hydrofluoric acid treatment (48%, 0 degrees C, 48 h) cleaved off from the peptidoglycan non-peptidoglycan glucosamine, mannosamine, and mannose. The purified peptidoglycan consists of N-acetyl muramic acid, N-acetyl glucosamine, L-alanine, D-alanine, D-glutamic acid, and meso-diaminopimelic acid in approximately equimolar amounts. At least partial amidation of carboxy groups in the peptide subunits is indicated. Peptide analyses and 2,4-dinitrophenyl studies of partial acid hydrolysates revealed the structure of the Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6714 peptidoglycan to belong to the A1 gamma type (direct cross-linkage) of peptidoglycan classification. The degree of cross-linkage is about 56% and thus is in the range of that found in gram-positive bacteria. Some of the peptide units are present as tripeptides lacking the carboxy-terminal D-alanine.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Verrucosispora gifhornensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a new member of the actinobacterial family Micromonosporaceae.

A Gram-positive, aerobic, spore-forming actinomycete strain, HR1-2T, was isolated from a peat bog near Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany. Comparative analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence indicated that HR1-2T was phylogenetically related to members of the family Micromonosporaceae, branching adjacent to Spirilliplanes yamanashiensis, Couchioplanes caeruleus, Catenuloplanes japonicus and members of the genus Micromonospora. The affiliation to the family was supported by the presence of family-specific 16S rDNA signature nucleotides, DNA G + C content of 70 mol%, peptidoglycan of type A1 gamma' (directly crossed-linked, presence of glycine, alanine, glutamic acid and mesodiaminopimelic acid in the peptide side-chain), menaquinone MK-9(H4) as the major respiratory lipoquinone, polar lipid composition PII (phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositolmannosides) and a glycolyl type of muramic acid. It differed from genera of the family by the lack of arabinose in whole-cell sugars and a unique nucleotide signature stretch between positions 1132 and 1143 (Escherichia coli numbering), 5' CAAUUCGGUUG 3'. Morphologically strain HR1-2T resembles Micromonospora species but can be distinguished from them by the lack of arabinose in whole-cell sugars, the presence of 10-methyl C17:0 fatty acids and a distinct 16S rDNA sequence. Based on the unique combination of morphological, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic properties a new genus, Verrucosispora gen. nov., is proposed. The type species of this genus is Verrucosispora gifhornensis sp. nov., and the type strain of V. gifhornensis is strain HR1-2T (= DSM 44337T).

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Peptidoglycan loss during hen egg white lysozyme-inorganic salt lysis of Streptococcus mutans.

Streptococcus mutans BHT was grown in Todd-Hewitt dialysate medium containing N-acetyl[(14)C]glucosamine for 6 to 11 generations. After treatment with cold and hot trichloroacetic acid and trypsin, 52 to 65% of the radioactivity remained present in insoluble peptidoglycan-containing residues. Hen egg white lysozyme or mutanolysin treatment of the peptidoglycan residues resulted in the release of 80 and 97%, respectively, of the (14)C label to the supernatant fraction. Hydrochloric acid hydrolysates of such supernatants showed that essentially all of the radioactivity present in insoluble peptidoglycan fractions was present in compounds that comigrated on paper chromatography with glucosamine ( approximately 60%) or muramic acid ( approximately 30%). Treatment of whole cells with low and high concentrations of lysozyme alone resulted in losses of 45 and 70% of the insoluble peptidoglycan, respectively, yet release of deoxyribonucleic acid from cells was not detected. Sequential addition of appropriate concentrations of selected inorganic salts after lysozyme treatment did result in the liberation of deoxyribonucleic acid. Deoxyribonucleic acid release was correlated with a further release of peptidoglycan from the insoluble fraction. However, the total amount of peptidoglycan lost effected by the low concentration of lysozyme and NaSCN (lysis) was significantly less than the amount of peptidoglycan hydrolyzed by high concentrations of lysozyme alone (no lysis), suggesting that the overall amount of peptidoglycan lost did not correlate well with cellular lysis. The total amount of insoluble peptidoglycan lost at the highest salt concentrations tested was found to be greater than could be accounted for by lysozyme-sensitive linkages of the peptidoglycan, possibly implicating autolysins. The results obtained suggested that hydrolysis of peptidoglycan bonds in topologically localized, but strategically important, sites was a more significant factor in the sequence that results in loss of cellular integrity (lysis).

Anions↗

THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUCOPEPTIDE AND RIBITOL TEICHOIC ACID FORMATION AS SHOWN BY THE EFFECT OF INHIBITORS.

1. The biosynthesis of teichoic acid in cell suspensions of two strains of Staphylococcus aureus is partially inhibited by the same low concentrations of penicillin that inhibit mucopeptide synthesis by 90-100%. Further increase in the concentration of the antibiotic by several hundred-fold still fails to cause any greater inhibition of teichoic acid synthesis. 2. Other conditions, such as amino acid deficiency or the presence of cycloserine or 5-fluorouracil, that inhibit mucopeptide synthesis also inhibit teichoic acid formation. 3. The degree of inhibition of teichoic acid synthesis caused by relatively high concentrations (10mug./ml.) of benzylpenicillin depends critically on the age of the culture from which the cell suspensions have been prepared. 4. No significant amounts of soluble teichoic acid have been found in the fluid from cells incubated in the presence of penicillin. 5. A high proportion of the teichoic acid formed in the presence of penicillin can be removed from wall preparations at room temperature by 0.1n-ammonia. This is not true of the teichoic acid formed in the absence of penicillin. 6. The teichoic acid extracted with ammonia from preparations of cell walls made from cells treated with penicillin is excluded from Sephadex G-25, has a low molar ratio of glucosamine to phosphorus and contains muramic acid, alanine, glutamic acid, glycine and lysine. 7. The implications of these results for the mechanism of action of penicillin are discussed.

Alanine↗

"Nonfibrillar" chitin associated with walls and septa of Trichophyton mentagrophytes arthrospores.

Two morphologically distinct forms of chitin were found in the arthrospore walls and septa of Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Two-thirds of the total wall chitin was the microfibrillar and chitinase-sensitive form. The remaining chitin existed in a previously uncharacterized "nonfibrillar" form and was insensitive to the action of Streptomyces chitinase. Exhaustive digestion of the arthrospore walls and septa with beta (1 leads to 3)-glucanase and chitinase followed by extraction with NaOH (1 N, 100 degrees C, 3 h) resulted in a fraction which retained the original wall shape. This fraction consisted of 85% N-acetylglucosamine, 2.0% galactosamine, 2.5% glucose, and 0.4% amino acids, 74% of which were lysine. Both its infrared spectrum and its X-ray diffraction pattern were almost identical to those of authentic chitin. There was no evidence of the presence of muramic acid, hexuronic acid, phosphate, or sulfate in this fraction. Its resistance to chitinase was due neither to the presence of protective wall layers or melanin nor to its close or covalent association with beta-glucan. Aside from its nonfibrillarity, this hexosamine polymer differed from authentic chitin in that it was soluble in 6 N HCl and 7.5 N NaOH. The development of this nonfibrillar chitin layer in the cell wall during arthrosporogenesis of T. mentagrophytes may be related to the arthrospores being resistant to a variety of antifungal agents.

Amino Acids↗

Peptidoglycan structure of Salmonella typhimurium growing within cultured mammalian cells.

The cell wall structure of Salmonella typhimurium has been studied for the first time during transit from free-living to parasitic lifestyles. Peptidoglycan of S. typhimurium proliferating within human epithelial cells contains a high proportion of previously unidentified muropeptides (5-10-fold higher than in extracellular bacteria). Amino acid and mass-spectrometry analyses showed that these new components consist of dimeric cross-linked muropeptides lacking one of the two disaccharide (N-acetyl-glucosamine-beta-(1-->4)-N-acetyl-muramic acid) molecules. This unique structure suggests an active role for an N-acetyl-muramyl-L-alanine-amidase in remodelling the peptidoglycan of intracellular S. typhimurium. Additional alterations observed included: (i) the absence of glycine-containing muropeptides; (ii) the increase in the relative proportion of muropeptides cross-linked by L(meso)-diaminopimelyl-D(meso)-diaminopimelic acid (L-D) peptide bridges; and, (iii) the decrease in the global cross-linkage of the macromolecule. The structural alterations observed in the peptidoglycan of intracellular bacteria do not produce loss of the cell envelope. These results show that intracellular residence of S. typhimurium within epithelial cells is accompanied by significant changes in the bacterial cell wall. Remodelling of peptidoglycan structure may constitute another sophisticated strategy of this pathogen for adapting to and colonizing the intracellular niche of eukaryotic cells.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

Determination of microbial chemical markers by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry--potential for diagnosis and studies on metabolism in situ. Review article.

Different strategies for the application of gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in medical microbiology research are discussed. GC can be used to determine specific microbial monomeric constituents and metabolites, so-called chemical markers, in cultures of microorganisms; in particular, analysis of cellular fatty acids has proven useful for species characterization and identification. GC-MS can be applied to study chemical markers directly in complex environmental samples, as exemplified by the analysis of airborne organic material as regards muramic acid (marker of peptidoglycan), 3-hydroxy acids (endotoxins), and ergosterol (fungal biomass). This methodological approach represents an alternative to various biological assays for characterization of airborne microbial structures, and forms a firm basis for correlating inhalation of such structures and development of symptoms. Direct GC-MS analysis of clinical samples provides possibilities for diagnosis (here exemplified by chiral separation of urine D- and L-arabinitol in disseminated candidiasis) and insight into microbial metabolism in the infected host (exemplified by observed indications of mycobacterial build-up of mycolic acids in vivo), with implications for drug development. Continued developments in MS technology will allow rapid advances to be made in GC-MS research in microbiology.

Bacteria↗

Peptidoglycan fine structure of the radiotolerant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans Sark.

Peptidoglycan from Deinococcus radiodurans was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The monomeric subunit was: N-acetylglucosamine-N-acetylmuramic acid-L-Ala-D-Glu-(gamma)-L-Orn-[(delta)Gly-Gly]-D-Ala-D-Ala. Cross-linkage was mediated by (Gly)2 bridges, and glycan strands were terminated in (1-->6)anhydro-muramic acid residues. Structural relations with the phylogenetically close Thermus thermophilus are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Extent of peptidoglycan O acetylation in the tribe Proteeae.

The degree of peptidoglycan O acetylation in 18 strains of the different genera of the tribe Proteeae (Proteus, Providencia, and Morganella) has been determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-based organic acid analysis of mild-base-released acetic acid and quantitation of peptidoglycan concentrations by simultaneous amino sugar-amino acid analysis using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection. The N,O-diacetylmuramyl content of all isolated and purified peptidoglycans was greater than 29% and ranged up to 57% relative to total muramic acid concentration. Each of the O-acetylated peptidoglycans was found to be resistant to solubilization by hen egg white lysozyme.

Acetylation↗

A shortened synthesis of adjuvant dipeptide (MDP).

N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine, or muramyl dipeptide (MDP), has been shown to be the minimal structure necessary for adjuvant activity. This compound can replace whole mycobacteria in Freund's complete adjuvant. In our continuing investigation of bacterial cell wall fragments of biological and immunotherapeutic interest, the necessity of obtaining MDP analogs of varying structure has proven to be of primary importance. We have found that the published routes to MDP could be effectively shortened to four steps starting from commercially available starting materials. As an example of this scheme, synthesis of the seryl analog will be detailed. gamma-benzyl glutamic acid could be elaborated in one step to the N-tertiary butoxycarbonyl seryl-gamma-benzyl isoglutamine. Deprotection of the Boc group followed by condensation with 1-O-benzyl-4, 6-O-benzylidine N-acetyl muramic acid provided the protected MDP. Deprotection of this product by hydrogenolysis gave the final product. Physical chemical and biological data as proof of structure is presented. Utility of these compounds in the line-10 tumor system is demonstrated.

Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine↗

Peptidoglycan fragments decrease food intake and body weight gain in rats.

We hypothesized that peptidoglycan (PG) fragments decrease appetite in rats. Male Lewis rats (150 g; n > or = 7) received intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of purified soluble PG fragments that had been treated with polymyxin B-agarose to remove residual endotoxin. Food consumption and body weight gain were determined at intervals after injection. Single i.p. injections of macromolecular extensively O-acetylated PG (S-O-PG) and non-O-acetylated PG fragments (24 to 240 micrograms/kg) reduced food intake and body weight gain in a dose-dependent fashion during the first 12 h after injection. Low-molecular-weight disaccharide peptide monomers with nonreducing 1,6-anhydro-N-acetylmuramic acid ends and muramyl dipeptide (MDP; 1.6 mg/kg) were also appetite and weight gain suppressants, albeit at least 10-fold less potent than S-O-PG; however, muramidase-derived monomers and peptide cross-linked dimers with reducing muramic acid ends were inactive. Appetite suppression was not limited to the Lewis rat strain since another strain, F344, exhibited similar decreases in food intake after injection of S-O-PG or MDP. Oral administration of MDP or S-O-PG, at concentrations 3 and 20 times higher, respectively, than those that were active i.p., failed to elicit a hypophagic response. We conclude that soluble PG fragments are potent suppressants of food consumption and body weight gain in rats and that, although macromolecular PG is more potent than low-molecular-weight fragments, neither O-acetylation nor glycosidic linkage of PG fragments is required for activity. We speculate that PG fragments may contribute to loss of appetite during bacterial illness.

Acetylation↗

Chemical composition of the cell wall of the H37Ra strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The cell wall of the H37Ra strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated and freed of extraneous noncovalently linked material by a series of extraction and enzymatic procedures. Chemical analysis of the cell wall has revealed the following composition: 22.8% amino acids, principally alanine, glutamate, and diaminopimelate in a molar ratio of 1:1.8:0.8; 24.7% reducing sugars, all in the form of arabinose and galactose in a molar ratio of 2.6:1; and 3.95% amino sugars, all in the form of glucosamine, muramic acid, and galactosamine in a molar ratio of 1:6.6:0.8. About 32.1% of the dry weight of the cell wall is lipid, of this about 55% is in the form of two series of mycolic acids. Each series of mycolic acids contains two homologues differing by 28 mass units. One pair of homologues contains in each a carbonyl function and an unsaturated double bond; the other pair contains two cyclopropane groups in each homologue. The remaining lipids are composed principally of normal saturated fatty acids, including tuberculostearic acid.

Alanine↗

Unmasking novel sporulation genes in Bacillus subtilis.

The Bacillus subtilis transcription factor sigma(E) directs the expression of a regulon of 262 genes, but null mutations in only a small fraction of these genes severely impair sporulation. We have previously reported that mutations in seven sigma(E)-controlled genes cause a mild (2- to 10-fold) defect in sporulation. In this study, we found that pairwise combinations of some of these seven mutations led to strong synthetic sporulation phenotypes, especially those involving the ytrHI operon and ybaN. Double mutants of ybaN and ytrH and of ybaN and ytrI had >10,000-fold lower sporulation efficiencies than the wild type. Thin-section electron microscopy revealed a block in cortex formation for the ybaN ytrH double mutant and coat defects for the ybaN single and ybaN ytrI double mutants. Sporulating cells of a ybaN ytrI double mutant and of a ybaN ytrHI triple mutant exhibited a pronounced loss of dipicolinic acid (DPA) between hours 8 and 24 of sporulation, in contrast to the constant levels seen for the wild type. An analysis of the spore cortex peptidoglycans of the ybaN ytrI and ybaN ytrHI mutants showed striking decreases in the levels of total muramic acid by hour 24 of sporulation. These data, along with the loss of DPA in the mutants, suggest that the developing spores were unstable and that the cortex underwent degradation late in sporulation. The existence of otherwise hidden sporulation pathways indicates that functional redundancy may mask the role of hitherto unrecognized sporulation genes.

Bacillus subtilis↗

Peptidoglycan O acetylation and autolysin profile of Enterococcus faecalis in the viable but nonculturable state.

The O acetylation of peptidoglycan occurs specifically at the C-6 hydroxyl group of muramoyl residues. Using a combination of high-performance liquid chromatography-based organic acid analysis and carbohydrate analysis by high-pH anion-exchange chromatography, we determined that strains of Entercoccus durans, E. faecalis, E. faecium, and E. hirae produce O-acetylated peptidoglycan. The levels of O acetylation ranged from 19% to 72% relative to the muramic acid content, and they were found to vary with the growth phase of the culture. Increases of 10 to 40% in O acetylation were observed with cultures entering the stationary phase. Cells of E. faecalis in the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state had the highest levels of peptidoglycan O acetylation. The presence of this modification to peptidoglycan was shown to inhibit the action of hen egg white lysozyme in a concentration-dependent manner. Zymography using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels containing either O-acetylated or chemically de-O-acetylated peptidoglycan was used to monitor the production of specific autolysins in E. faecalis. Differences in the expression of specific autolysins were observed with the age of the culture, and VBNC E. faecalis produced the highest levels of these enzymes. This technique also permitted classification of the enterococcal autolysins into enzymes that preferentially hydrolyze either O-acetylated or non-O-acetylated peptidoglycan and enzymes that show no apparent preference for either substrate type.

Acetylation↗

A new genus of the order Actinomycetales, Virgosporangium gen. nov., with descriptions of Virgosporangium ochraceum sp. nov. and Virgosporangium aurantiacum sp. nov.

Four motile spored strains were isolated from soil samples collected in Japan. The cultures formed long, narrow sporangia on short sporangiophores directly on the substrate mycelium. The sporangia develop singly or in clusters above the surface of the substrate. Each sporangium contains a single row of six or more motile spores. Glutamic acid, glucosamine, glycine, alanine and 3-OH-diaminopimelic acid are present in the cell wall; the whole-cell sugars are 3-O-methylmannose, rhamnose, mannose, arabinose, galactose, xylose and glucose; and the predominant menaquinones are 10(H4), 10(H6) and 10(H8). The diagnostic phospholipid is phosphatidylethanolamine. The acyl type of the muramic acid is glycolyl. The G+C content is 71 mol%. Mycolic acids are absent. The chemotaxonomic data indicate that these strains belong to the family Micromonosporaceae. Analysis of 165 rDNA sequences suggested that these organisms fall into a distinct clade within the family Micromonosporaceae for which a new genus, Virgosporangium gen. nov., is proposed containing the species Virgosporangium ochraceum sp. nov. (strains YU655-43T, YU793-41 and YU794-41) and Virgosporangium aurantiacum sp. nov. (strain YU438-5T).

DNA, Ribosomal↗

Chemical composition and immunological specificity of the streptococcal group O cell wall polysaccharide antigen.

The group O streptococcal group antigen was shown to be a polysaccharide located in the cell wall of the organism. The antigen could be extracted by one of several methods: (i) 0.5 n NaOH at 37 C, (ii) phenol-water (50:50) at 68 C, (iii) 0.2 n HCl at 100 C, or (iv) 10% trichloroacetic acid at 4 C. The last method yielded more polysaccharide with less protein contamination. The polysaccharide was purified on diethylaminoethyl-Sephadex A-25 and Sephadex G-200. It was composed of two-thirds glucosamine and galactosamine, and the remainder glucose plus galactose. Rhamnose, glycerol, ribitol, and muramic acid were absent. Total phosphorus and amino acids were each less than 0.1%. N-Acetyl-beta-d-glucosamine exerted a strong inhibition of the precipitin reaction and is considered the immunodominant sugar. Glucosamine and glucose possessed a partial inhibitory activity. Galactose and galactosamine were essentially negative. No evidence of cross-reactivity was found between the O polysaccharide and group A and L polysaccharides, and group A and Staphylococcus aureus teichoic acids, which posesss N-acetylglucosamine specificity. The release of limited quantities of N-acetyl-glucosamine from its terminal location by enzyme, and glucose by acid hydrolysis, indicates a limited number of side chains in the O antigen. The glucosamine is in acid-stable linkage in the polysaccharide. Glucose was not released by beta-glucosidase and probably does not occupy a terminal position. The O antigen is the only known streptococcal polysaccharide antigen which does not contain rhamnose. The effect of these factors on the immunological specificity is discussed. O serum, after adsorption with the purified polysaccharide, was used to demonstrate the presence of protein antigens in acid extracts of cells from each of the nine strains examined. These antigens may represent type antigens. Two of these strains, originally described as group O, did not contain the O polysaccharide.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗