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. 1965 Aug;96(2):302–309. doi: 10.1042/bj0960302

The linkage between the polysaccharide and mucopeptide components of the cell wall of Lactobacillus casei

K W Knox 1, Elizabeth A Hall 1
PMCID: PMC1207040  PMID: 5837777

Abstract

1. The linkage between the polysaccharide and mucopeptide components of the cell wall of Lactobacillus casei is rapidly hydrolysed under mild acid-hydrolysis conditions. 2. The release of the polysaccharide is accompanied by the hydrolysis of an N-acetylhexosaminide linkage. The N-acetylhexosamine residue readily forms chromogen and it is concluded that it is substituted on C(3) by the adjacent sugar. 3. Continued heating of the polysaccharide in acid results in a slower release of reactive N-acetylhexosamine due to the hydrolysis of glycosidic linkages within the polysaccharide. 4. After the linkage between the polysaccharide and mucopeptide has been hydrolysed, acid phosphatase will release approx. 40% of the total phosphorus as inorganic phosphate. 5. It is concluded that the polysaccharide component of the cell wall is joined through its reducing end group to a phosphate grouping in the mucopeptide.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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