HPLC analysis of the cytoplasmic pools of E. coli TP71 (wild type), TP77 (nagZ), and TP78 (nagZ ampD). The hot water extract from 2 ml of culture grown in the presence of 1 μCi of [3H]glucosamine per ml for approximately five generations was analyzed by HPLC (method 2). Identities of fractions A to E: A, a mixture containing glucosamine and GlcNAc and their phosphorylated derivatives and UDP-GlcNAc; B, aMurNAc; C, GlcNAc-aMurNAc; D, UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide; E, GlcNAc-aMurNAc-tripeptide.