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Anionic Polymers of the Cell Wall of Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis VKM B-501T


A. S. Shashkov1, N. V. Potekhina2*, S. N. Senchenkova1, and E. B. Kudryashova3

1Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 47, 117913 Moscow, Russia; fax: (495) 135-5328

2Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow, Russia; fax: (495) 939-4309; E-mail: potekchina@hotbox.ru

3All-Russian Collection of Microorganisms (VKM), Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142292 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia; fax: (495) 923-3602

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received March 12, 2008; Revision received November 17, 2008
Teichoic acid and disaccharide-1-phosphate polymer were identified in the cell walls of Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis VKM B-501T. The teichoic acid represents 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate) 80% substituted by α-D-glucopyranose residues at O-2 of glycerol. The linear repeating unit of disaccharide-1-phosphate polymer contains the residues of β-D-glucopyranose, N-acetyl-α-D-galactosamine, and phosphate and has the following structure: -6)-β-D-Glcp-(1→3)-α-D-GalpNAc-(1-P-. The structures of two anionic polymers were determined by chemical and NMR-spectroscopic methods. The 1H- and 13C-NMR spectral data on disaccharide-1-phosphate polymer are presented for the first time.
KEY WORDS: Bacillus subtilis, cell wall, teichoic acid, disaccharide-1-phosphate polymer, anionic polysaccharides, NMR spectroscopy

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297909050095