Ultrastructural localization of cell wall teichoic acids in Streptococcus faecalis by means of concanavalin A

Some teichoic acids are known to be partially substituted by α-D-glucopyranosyl residues such as the teichoic acids of Streptococcus faecalis NCIB 8191. They will, therefore, bind specifically the phytohemagglutinin concanavalin A. Concanavalin A labelled with mercury or colloidal gold coated with concanavalin A has been used to mark isolated cell walls in order to localize the teichoic acids at the ultrastructural level. Besides these two direct marking techniques, the indirect concanavalin A-peroxidase technique (localization of peroxidase by the diaminobenzidine method followed by postosmication) has been applied to thin sections of premarked cells. All three methods gave almost identical results, namely, a dense and homogeneous distribution of the cell wall teichoic acids. In control experiments total inhibition was achieved in the presence of methyl-α-D-mannopyranoside. After trichloroacetic acid or alkali extraction of the teichoic acids from isolated walls no marking could be detected.