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. 1976 Sep;127(3):1119–1126. doi: 10.1128/jb.127.3.1119-1126.1976

Stringent control of peptidoglycan biosynthesis in Escherichia coli K-12.

E E Ishiguro, W D Ramey
PMCID: PMC232902  PMID: 783130

Abstract

[3H]Diaminopimelic acid (Dap) was incorporated exclusively into peptidoglycan by Escherichia coli strains auxotrophic for both lysine and Dap. The rate of [3H]Dap incorporation by stringent (rel+) strains was significantly decreased when cells were deprived of required amino acids. The addition of chloramphenicol to amino acid-starved rel+ cultured stimulated both peptidoglycan and ribonucleic acid synthesis. In contrast, a relaxed (relA) derivative incorporated [3H]Dap at comparable rates in the presence or absence of required amino acids. Physiologically significant concentrations of guanosine 5'-diphosphate 3'-diphosphate (ppGpp) inhibited the in vitro synthesis of both carrier lipid-linked intermediate and peptidoglycan catalyzed by a particulate enzyme system. The degree of inhibition was dependent on the concentration of ppGpp in the reaction mixture. Thus, the results of in vivo and in vitro studies indicate that peptidoglycan synthesis is stringently controlled in E. coli.

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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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