Structure of anionic carbohydrate-containing cell wall polymers in several representatives of the order actinomycetales

A new teichoic acid was identified in the cell walls of Streptomyces griseoviridis VKM Ac-622T, Streptomyces sp. VKM Ac-2091, and Actinoplanes campanulata VKM Ac-1319T. The polymer is poly(glycosylglycerol phosphate). The repeating units of the polymer, alpha-galactopyranosyl-(1-->3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-galactopyran+ ++ osyl-(1-->1)-glycerols, are in phosphodiester linkage at C-3 of glycerol and C-6 of galactose. The structures of cell wall teichoic acids in the strains Streptomyces chryseus VKM Ac-200T and "Streptomyces subflavus" VKM Ac-484 similar in morphology and growth characteristics are also identical: 1,5-poly(ribitol phosphate) substituted at C-4(2) by 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-glucopyranosyl residues and 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate). The taxonomic aspects of these results are discussed.     

A polymer with a backbone of 3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-non-2-ulopyranosonic acid, a teichuronic acid, and a beta-glucosylated ribitol teichoic acid in the cell wall of plant pathogenic Streptomyces sp. VKM Ac-2124.

Structures of cell wall anionic polymers of the strain Streptomyces sp. VKM Ac-2124, a causative agent of potato scab, which is phylogenetically the closest to plant pathogenic species S. setonii and S. caviscabies, were studied. The strain contains three anionic glycopolymers, viz., a teichuronic acid with a disaccharide repeating unit -->6)-alpha-d-Glcp-(1-->4)-beta-d-ManpNAc3NAcA-(1-->, a beta-glucosylated polymer of 3-deoxy-d-glycero-d-galacto-non-2-ulopyranosonic acid (Kdn), and a beta-glucosylated 1,5-poly(ribitol phosphate). The strain studied is the second representative of plant pathogenic streptomycetes inducing potato scab disease, the cell wall anionic polymers of which were shown to contain a Kdn-polymer. Presumably, the presence of Kdn-containing structures in the surface regions of pathogens is essential for their efficient attachment to host plant cells.     

Anionic polymers of the cell wall of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces</Emphasis> sp. VKM Ac-2534

The cell wall of Streptomyces sp. VKM Ac-2534, the causative agent of common scab in potato tubers, which does not synthesize thaxtomin and is phylogenetically close to phytopathogen Streptomyces setonii sp. ATCC 25497, contains two anionic carbohydrate-containing polymers. The major polymer is teichuronic acid, whose repeating unit is disaccharide → 4)-β-D-ManpNAc3NAcyA-(1 → 3)-α-D-GalpNAc-(1→, where Acy is a residue of acetic or L-glutamic acid. The polymer of such structure has been found in Gram-positive bacteria for the first time. The minor polymer is teichoic acid [1,5-poly(ribitol phosphate)], in which a part of the ribitol residues are glycosylated at C4 with β-D-Glcp and, probably, with β-D-GlcpNAc and some residues are O-acylated with Lys residues. The structures were proved by chemical and NMR spectroscopic methods. It is likely that the presence of acidic polysaccharides on the surface of the phytopathogenic streptomycete is necessary for its attachment to the host plant.     

Cell wall teichoic acids from Streptomyces daghestanicus VKM Ac-1722T and Streptomyces murinus INA-00524T

The structure of cell wall teichoic acids was studied by chemical methods and NMR spectroscopy in the type strains of two actinomycete species of the "Streptomyces griseoviridis" phenetic cluster: Streptomyces daghestanicus and Streptomyces murinus. S. daghestanicus VKM Ac-1722T contained two polymers having a 1,5-poly(ribitol phosphate) structure. In one of them, the ribitol units had alpha-rhamnopyranose and 3-O-methyl-alpha-rhamnopyranose substituents; in the other, each ribitol unit was carrying 2,4-ketal-bound pyruvic acid. Such polymers were earlier found in the cell walls of Streptomyces roseolus and Nocardiopsis albus, respectively; however, their simultaneous presence in the cell wall has never been reported. The cell wall teichoic acid of Streptomyces murinus INA-00524T was is a 1,5-poly(glucosylpolyol phosphate), whose repeating unit was [-6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 --> 2)-glycerol phosphate-(3-P-]. Such a teichoic acid was earlier found in Spirilliplanes yamanashiensis. The 13C NMR spectrum of this polymer is presented for the first time. The results of the present investigation, together with earlier published data, show that the type strains of four species of the "Streptomyces griseoviridis" phenetic cluster differ in the composition and structure of their teichoic acids; thus, teichoic acids may serve as chemotaxonomic markers of the species.     

The carbohydrate-containing cell wall polymers of some species from the cluster "Streptomyces lavendulae"

The type strains of the cluster "Streptomyces lavendulae" species with a low level of DNA-DNA relatedness were found to contain different cell-wall carbohydrate polymers, whereas the species of this cluster with a level of DNA-DNA relatedness of about 60% contain similar or identical carbohydrate polymers. The type strains Streptomyces katrae VKM Ac-1220T and S. polychromogenes VKM Ac-1207T synthesize mannan with different amounts of alpha-1,2- and alpha-1,3-substituted mannopyranose units and a small number of 1,3-poly(glycerophosphate) chains. The cell walls of S. lavendulocolor VKM Ac-215T and Streptomyces sp. VKM Ac-2117 were found to contain a hitherto unknown teichuronic acid, whose repeating unit is a disaccharide consisting of diaminomannuronic acid and N-acetylgalactosamine:-->4)-beta-D-ManpNAc3NAcA-(1-->3)-alpha-D- GalpNAc-(1-->. In addition, the cell walls of these two streptomycetes contain beta-glucosylated 1,5-poly(ribitol phosphate). The cell walls of S. virginiae VKM Ac-1218T and S. flavotricini VKM Ac-1277T contain the same poly(glucosyl-glycerophosphate). The results presented in this paper are in accordance with the DNA-DNA relatedness data published earlier and indicate a taxonomic significance of the structure of the cell-wall polysaccharides for the delineation of pheneticall/related Streptomyces species.     

Structural elucidation of the extracellular and cell-wall teichoic acids of Staphylococcus aureus MN8m, a biofilm forming strain

Extracellular teichoic acid, an essential constituent of the biofilm produced by Staphylococcus epidermidis strain RP62A, is also an important constituent of the extracellular matrix of another biofilm producing strain, Staphylococcus aureus MN8m. The structure of the extracellular and cell wall teichoic acids of the latter strain was studied by NMR spectroscopy and capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. Both teichoic acids were found to be a mixture of two polymers, a (1-->5)-linked poly(ribitol phosphate), substituted at the 4-position of ribitol residues with beta-GlcNAc, and a (1-->3)-linked poly(glycerol phosphate), partially substituted with the D-Ala at 2-position of glycerol residue. Such mixture is unusual for S. aureus.     

The type-specific substance from Pneumococcus type 33B (Short Communication)

1. The type-specific substance, S. 33B, from Pneumococcus type 33B contains P, 2.89; hexose, 51; total sugar, 69; galactosamine, 18; and d-glucose, 20%. 2. After degradation with alkali, followed by enzymic dephosphorylation, S. 33B yielded a hexasaccharide. 3. The hexasaccharide was assigned the structure O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl- (1-->5)-O-beta-d-galactofuranosyl- (1-->3)-O-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-d- galactopyranosyl-(1-->4)-O-[alpha-d- galactopyranosyl-(1-->2)]-alpha-d-galactopyranosyl- (1-->2)-ribitol. 4. Phosphate residues in S. 33B are located on the hydroxyl groups at position 5 of ribitol units and on the hydroxyl groups at position 6 of hexopyranose residues.     

The type-specific substance from Pneumococcus type 13

1. The type-specific substance, S.13, from Pneumococcus type 13 was subjected to hydrolysis with alkali, followed by enzymic dephosphorylation, to yield a pentasaccharide. 2. The pentasaccharide, corresponding to the dephosphorylated repeating unit of S.13, was shown to be O-beta-d-galactopyranosyl-(1-->4)-O-beta- d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-O-beta-d- galactofuranosyl-(1-->4)-O-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-d- glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-ribitol. 3. The phosphodiester linkages in S.13 join the hydroxyl group at position 1 of ribitol and the hydroxyl group at position 4 of a galactopyranosyl residue in the next repeating unit. 4. Ester groups, presumably O-acetyl, are located on positions 2 or 3 of most glucopyranosyl residues in S.13. 5. A partial structure for S.13 is proposed.     

The action of nitrous acid on C-teichoic acid (C-substance) from the walls of Diplococcus pneumoniae

1. C-teichoic acid (C-substance) from the walls of Diplococcus pneumoniae contained free amino groups accessible to attack by nitrous acid. Treatment with nitrous acid, followed by reduction with borohydride and hydrolysis with acid, gave ribitol, glucitol and their respective phosphates. 2. Hydrolysis of the polymer with alkali followed by treatment of products with nitrous acid yielded glucose. 3. When alkali hydrolysis was followed by treatment with a phosphomonoesterase, nitrous acid degradation of C-substance yielded glucose and a disaccharide identified as 2-O-(N-acetylgalactosaminyl)-d-ribitol. 4. A partial structure for C-teichoic acid was deduced in which the order of the constituent residues and the position of phosphodiester linkages were established.     

A novel teichoic acid from the cell wall of Streptomyces sp. VKM Ac-2275

The cell wall of a pathogenic strain Streptomyces sp. VKM Ac-2275 isolated from potato tubers infected by scab contains a teichoic acid related to poly(glycosylpolyol phosphate) with a repeating unit established by chemical and NMR spectroscopic methods. About 60% of l-rhamnose residues bear an O-acetyl group at O-2 and 20% of the internal glucose residues contain an additional phosphate at C-4. The polymer is built of 5-6 units. This structure is found in bacteria for the first time. The strain is phylogenetically closest to the scab-causing species Streptomyces scabiei and Streptomyces europaeiscabiei, but differs from both these species in morphological and physiological characters and does not produce thaxtomin A, the main phytotoxin produced by S. scabiei.     

Milligram-scale preparation and purification of oligosaccharides of defined length possessing the structure of chondroitin from defructosylated capsular polysaccharide K4

Escherichia coli K4 bacterium synthesizes a nonsulfated capsule polysaccharide (K4) composed of a repeating disaccharide subunit of D-glucuronic acid (beta1-->3) and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (beta1-->4) to which beta-fructofuranose units are linked to C-3 of D-glucuronic acid residues. The K4 polyanion is easily defructosylated under acid conditions with no fragmentation of the polymer to produce a polysaccharide having a repeated disaccharide unit of chondroitin consisting of D-glucuronic acid (beta1-->3) and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (beta1-->4) (K4d). K4 and K4d were depolymerized by partial digestion with testicular hyaluronidase and separated into uniform-size oligosaccharides from 4-mers to 16-mers by preparative anion-exchange chromatography after removal of the hyaluronidase. The purity and size of each oligosaccharide was confirmed by using anion-exchange HPLC, HPSEC analysis, and FACE. Mg-scale K4d oligosaccharides were obtained from 50 mg K4d starting material. Under the conditions used to degrade the K4 polysaccharide by testicular hyaluronidase, fructose is slowly liberated forming the defructosylated K4. As a consequence, a mixture of uniform- size K4 and K4d oligosaccharide species, from approximately 4- to 20-mers, are generated and size-separated by anion-exchange chromatography. These pure, uniform-size, and large ranges of K4d oligosaccharides having the structure of a chondroitin, -->4)-GlcUA-beta(1-->3)GalNAc-beta(1-->, will be available for investigating important biological functions of this polymer.     

Structure of a polysaccharide from a Rhizobium species containing 2-deoxy-beta-D-arabino-hexuronic acid.

The structure of the extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) produced by the Rhizobium sp. B strain isolated from atypical nodules on alfalfa has been determined using a combination of chemical and physical techniques (methylation analysis, high pH-anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC), mass spectrometry and 1-D and 2-D NMR spectroscopy). As opposed to the EPS from other strains of Rhizobium, the EPS from the sp. B strain contains D-Glc together with L-Rha and 2-deoxy-D-arabino-hexuronic acid. It is a polymer of a repeating unit having the following structure: --> 4)-beta-D-Glcp-(1 --> 4)-alpha-L-Rhap -(1 --> 3)-beta-D-Glcp-(1 --> 4)-2-deoxy-beta-D-GlcpA-(1 -->. The polysaccharide also contains 0.6 O-acetyl groups per sugar which have not been located.     

Studies on the linkage between teichoic acid and peptidoglycan in a bacteriophage-resistant mutant of Staphylococcus aureus H.

1. In addition to poly(ribitol phosphate) the walls of a bacteriophage-resistant mutant of Staphylococcus aureus H contain glycerol phosphate residues that are not removed on digestion with trypsin or extraction with phenol. 2. The glycerol phosphate is present in a chain, containing three or four glycerol phosphate residues, which is covalently attached to the peptidoglycan through a phosphodiester linkage to muramic acid; this linkage is readily hydrolysed by dilute alkali. 3. The degradative studies described suggest that the poly(ribitol phosphate) chains of the wall teichoic acid may be attached to the wall by linkage to this glycerol phosphate oligomer.     

A new neutral polymer from the cell wall of actinomycete Kineosporia aurantiaca VKM Ac-702T

The major cell wall polymer of Kineosporia aurantiaca VKM Ac-702T a representative of the suborder Frankineae, is a galactomannan with a repeating unit of the following structure: -->3)-beta-D-Galp-(1-->6)-beta-D-Manp-(1-->4)-beta-D-Manp-(1-->3)-beta-D-Galp-(1-->4)-beta-D-Manp-(1-->4)-beta-D-Manp-(1--> that has not been reported so far. This was established using chemical degradation methods and NMR spectroscopy. The polysaccharide identified in the present study provides the second example of neutral galactomannans in actinomycete cell walls. The cell wall of K. aurantiaca VKM Ac-702T also contains a minor teichoic acid, viz., 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate) partially substituted with alpha-glucosamine residues, only part of which are N-acetylated.     

Chemical structure, conjugation, and cross-reactivity of Bacillus pumilus Sh18 cell wall polysaccharide

Bacillus pumilus strain Sh18 cell wall polysaccharide (CWP), cross-reactive with the capsular polysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae type b, was purified and its chemical structure was elucidated using fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, and sugar-specific degradation procedures. Two major structures, 1,5-poly(ribitol phosphate) and 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate), with the latter partially substituted by 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-alpha-galactopyranose (13%) and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-alpha-glucopyranose (6%) on position O-2, were found. A minor component was established to be a polymer of -->3-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-glucopyranosyl)-1-->4-ribitol-1-OPO3-->. The ratios of the three components were 56, 34, and 10 mol%, respectively. The Sh18 CWP was covalently bound to carrier proteins, and the immunogenicity of the resulting conjugates was evaluated in mice. Two methods of conjugation were compared: (i) binding of 1-cyano-4-dimethylaminopyridinium tetrafluoroborate-activated hydroxyl groups of the CWP to adipic acid dihydrazide (ADH)-derivatized protein, and (ii) binding of the carbodiimide-activated terminal phosphate group of the CWP to ADH-derivatized protein. The conjugate-induced antibodies reacted in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with the homologous polysaccharide and with a number of other bacterial polysaccharides containing ribitol and glycerol phosphates, including H. influenzae types a and b and strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis.     

Cell wall teichoic acids of Actinomadura viridis VKM Ac-1315T.

The cell walls of Actinomadura viridis contain poly(glycosylglycerol phosphate) chains of complex structure. On the basis of NMR spectroscopy of the polymer and glycosides thereof the following structural units were found: beta-D-Galp3Me-(1-->4)[beta-D-Glcp-(1-->6)]-beta-D-Galp-(1-->1)-++ +snGro (G1); beta-D-Galp-(1-->4)-beta-D-Galp-(1-->1)-snGro (G2); beta-D-Galp3Me-(1-->4)-beta-D-Galp-(1-->1)-snGro (G2a); beta-D-Galp-(1-->1)-snGro (G3); beta-D-Galp-(1-->1)[beta-D-Galp-(1-->2)]-snGro (G4); beta-D-Glcp-(1-->2)-snGro (G5). Glycosides G1, G2 and G3 were the predominant components of the teichoic acid: they formed the polymer chain via phosphodiester bonds involving C-3 of the glycerol residue and C-3 of the galactosyl residue which in turn glycosylates C-1 of the glycerol residue. Whether the different glycosides make up the one chain or whether there are several poly(glycosylglycerol phosphate) chains in the cell wall remains to be determined. It was suggested that the minor component G5 is located at the nonterminal end of the chains. Compound G4 which contains disubstituted glycerol residues (unusual for the teichoic acid) was also found as a minor component; this may be the glycoside of a new type of teichoic acid, or a glycoside on the terminal end of the above mentioned chains. In addition, small amounts of 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate) chains were found in the cell wall.     

A new polymer of 8,9-di-O-glucosylated 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nonulosonic acid from a cell wall of Brevibacterium casei AEI Ac-2114T

A polysaccharide containing the residues of 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nonulosonic acid (Kdn) was found in the cell wall of the Brevibacterium casei strain AEI Ac-2114T . The polymer structure was elucidated by analyzing one-dimensional spectra of 1H and 13C NMR and bidimentional experiments 1H/13C-COSY, TOCSY, 1H/13C-gHSQC, and 1H/13C-gHMBC. The polymer is built up of the 2--> 4-linked Kdn residues substituted by beta-D-Glcp residues at 8- and 9-hydroxyls; such a polymer with disubstituted Kdn residues was found for the first time. A glycosylated teichoic acid of the 1,3-poly(glycerophosphate) type was also identified among other anionic polymers of cell wall.     

Structure of a new ribitol teichoic acid-like O-polysaccharide of a serologically separate Proteus vulgaris strain, TG 276-1, classified into a new Proteus serogroup O53

An unusual ribitol teichoic acid-like O-polysaccharide was isolated by mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide from a previously non-classified Proteus vulgaris strain TG 276-1. Structural studies using chemical analyses and 2D (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy showed that the polysaccharide is a zwitterionic polymer with a repeating unit containing 2-acetamido-4-amino-2,4,6-trideoxy-D-galactose (D-FucNAc4N) and two D-ribitol phosphate (D-Rib-ol-5-P) residues and having the following structure:[formula: see text] where the non-glycosylated ribitol residue is randomly mono-O-acetylated. Based on the unique O-polysaccharide structure and the finding that the strain studied is serologically separate among Proteus bacteria, we propose to classify P. vulgaris strain TG 276-1 into a new Proteus serogroup, O53.     

Characterization of a novel linkage unit between ribitol teichoic acid and peptidoglycan in Listeria monocytogenes cell walls

The structure of the linkage unit between ribitol teichoic acid and peptidoglycan in the cell walls of Listeria monocytogenes EGD was studied. A teichoic-acid--glycopeptide preparation isolated from lysozyme digests of the cell walls of this strain contained mannosamine, glycerol, glucose and muramic acid 6-phosphate in an approximate molar ratio of 1:1:2:1, together with large amounts of glucosamine and other components of teichoic acid and glycopeptides. A teichoic-acid-linked sugar preparation, obtained by heating the cell walls at pH 2.5, also contained glucosamine, mannosamine, glycerol and glucose in an approximate molar ratio of 25:1:1:2. Part of the glucosamine residues were shown to be involved in the linkage unit. Thus, on mild alkaline hydrolysis, the teichoic-acid-linked sugar preparation gave a disaccharide characterized as N-acetylmannosaminyl(beta 1----4)-N-acetylglucosamine [ManNAc(beta 1----4)GlcNAc] in addition to the ribitol teichoic acid moiety, whereas the teichoic-acid - glycopeptide was separated into disaccharide-linked glycopeptide and the ribitol teichoic acid moiety by the same procedure. Furthermore, Smith degradation of the cell walls gave a characteristic fragment, EtO2-P-Glc(beta 1----3)Glc(beta 1----1/3)Gro-P-ManNAc(beta 1----4)GlcNAc (where EtO2 = 1,2-ethylenediol and Gro = glycerol). The results lead to the conclusion that in the cell walls of this organism, the ribitol teichoic acid chain is linked to peptidoglycan through a novel linkage unit, Glc(beta 1----3)Glc(beta 1----1/3)Gro-P-(3/4)ManNAc-(beta 1----4)GlcNAc.     

Cloning and sequencing of agaA, a unique agarase 0107 gene from a marine bacterium, Vibrio sp. strain JT0107.

An agarase gene (agaA) was cloned from genomic DNA of Vibrio sp. strain JT0107. An open reading frame of 2,985 nucleotides gave a primary translation product composed of the mature protein, agarase 0107 (975 amino acid residues, with a molecular weight of 105,271) and a signal peptide of 20 amino acid residues at the N terminus. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of agarase 0107 with those of Streptomyces coelicolor and Pseudomonas atlantica suggests that these enzymes share two regions in common. The AgaA protein which was expressed in Escherichia coli had the agarase activity. Agarase 0107 hydrolyzes not only agarose but also neoagarotetraose [O-3,6-anhydro-alpha-L-galactopyranosyl (1-->3)-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl(1-->4)-O-3,6-anhydro-alpha-L-galact opy ranosyl (1-->3)-D-galactose] to yield neoagarobiose [O-3,6-anhydro-alpha-L-galactopyranosyl(1-->3)-D-galactose]. This is a quite unique characteristic for a beta-agarase.