Skip to main content
. 2008 May 2;190(13):4541–4548. doi: 10.1128/JB.00249-08

TABLE 1.

Muropeptide peak identification

B. subtilis muropeptidea B. anthracis muropeptide Structureb Dormant sporec Germinated spore pelletc Germinated spore exudate after mutanolysin digestionc Germinated spore exudate before mutanolysin digestionc Cochromatography m/z expectedd m/z observedd Amino acid/amino sugar analysise
Muramic acid derived from NAM or muramic-δ-lactam Glucosamine Muramitol Glucosaminitol Ala Glu Dpm
Muropeptides produced from dormant spore PG
    1 A DS-TriP + * + + + 1 1 1
B DS-Ac-TriP + + 827.4 827.3 + + 1 1 1
C DS-TriP+Am + + 868.7 869.7 + + 1 1 1
D DS-Ac-TriP+Am + + 826.4 826.3 + + 1 1 1
    2 E DS-Ala + * + + + + + 1
    3 F DS-TP + * + + + + + 2 1 1
G DS-Ac-TP + + 898.4 898.3 + + 2 1 1
    5 H TS-TP open lactam + * + + + + 2 1 1
    6 I TSred-TP + * + + + 2 1 1
    7 J TSred-Ala + * + + + 1
K DS-Ac-TP x TriP+Am-DS-Ac + + 1707.8 1707.7 + + 3 2 2
L TS-TP-Ac + * + 1316.5 1317.8 + + + 2 1 1
M DS-Ac-TP+Am x TriP+Am-DS-Ac + * + +
    10 N TS-TP + + + + 1358.6 1358.5 + + + 2 1 1
    11 O TS-TP x TP + * + + + + 2 1 1
    12 P DS-TP x TP-TSred + * + + + 2 1 1
    13 Q TS-Ala + + + + 986.6 986.4 + + + 1
R HSred-Ac-TP (right lactam reducedh) + * 1720.7 1721.6
S HSred-Ac-TP (left lactam reducedh) + * 1720.7 1721.7
    14 T DS-TP x TP-TS + * + + 2283.3 2283.4 + + + 2 1 1
U HS-TP-Ac + * + 1734.7 1734.6 + + + 2 1 1
    17 V TS-TP x TP-TS + * + + + + + 2 1 1
W HS-Ala-Ac + * 1361.8 1361.7
X HS-Ala-Ac + * 1361.8 1361.7
    18 Y HS-TP + * + + + + + 2 1 1
    19 Z HS-Ala + * + + + + + 1
    20 AA TS-TP x TP-HS + * + + + + 2 1 1
Muropeptides produced from germinated spore exudate following mutanolysin digestion
aG1 TriS-TP Red + 1141.5 1141.4 + + 2 1 1
    G8f aG4 TriS-TP + 1155.5 1155.4 + + + 2 1 1
    G8Ag aG5 TriS-Ala + 782.5 782.4 + + + 1
aG8 PS-TP-Ac + 1531.6 1531.5 + + + 2 1 1
aG9 PS-Ala-Ac + 1160.1 1159.9 + + + 1
aG10d TriS-TP x TP-TriS + 2293.8 2293.8 + + + 2 1 1
    G8Bg aG11 PS-TP + 1573.7 1573.6 + + + 2 1 1
Muropeptides produced from germinated spore exudate with no mutanolysin digestion
    G2f aG2 TS-TP NAGr Red + 1344.8 1344.6 + + + 2 1 1
    G1f aG3 TS-Ala NAGr Red + 972.7 972.6 + + + 2 1 1
    G3f aG6 TS-TP NAGr + 1358.6 1358.5 + + + 2 1 1
    G4f aG7 TS-Ala NAGr + + 986.6 986.4 + + + 1
aG10u HS-TP-Ac NAGr + 1734.7 1735.2 + + + 2 1 1
aG12 HS-Ala-Ac NAGr + 1361.8 1361.8 + + + 1
    G6f aG13 HS-TP NAGr + 1776.8 1777.2 + + + 2 1 1
a

Numbering as in reference 23.

b

DS, disaccharide (NAG-NAM); TS, tetrasaccharide (NAG-lactam-NAG-NAM); HS, hexasaccharide (NAG-lactam-NAG-lactam-NAG-NAM); TriS, trisaccharide (lactam-NAG-NAM); PS, pentasaccharide (lactam-NAG-lactam-NAG-NAM); TriP, tripeptide (Ala-Glu-Dpm); TP, tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Dpm-Ala); Ac, deacetylated glucosamine; +Am, amidated Dpm; Red, reduced lactam (an artifact of sample preparation [30])); NAGr, NAG at the reducing end; x, cross-link between two peptides.

c

A plus sign indicates that the muropeptide was detected in the sample, was integrated for structural parameter determinations (Table 2), and is indicated in Fig. 2. An asterisk indicates that the muropeptide was detected in the sample and was integrated for structural parameter determinations (Table 2) but is very small and not indicated in Fig. 2.

d

m/z expected is the mass-to-charge ratio predicted for the deprotonated ion of the muropeptide structure indicated. m/z observed is the value determined using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry or electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

e

The analysis method used does not produce reliable quantitative results for amino sugars. A plus sign indicates that the compound was clearly detected. For amino acids, the values are the molar ratios, which are rounded to the nearest whole number.

f

Numbering as in reference 6.

g

Numbering as in reference 7.

h

The position of lactam reduction was determined by fragmentation of the muropeptide during tandem mass spectrometry analysis.