Bacterial cell wall functions

Kelly SD, Boyanov MI, Bunker BA, Fein JB, Fowle DA, Yee N, Kemner KM (2001) XAFS determination of the bacterial cell wall functional groups responsible for complexation of Cd and U as a function of pH. J Synchrotron Rad 8 946-948... 

This insertion is accomplished by an enzyme called transpeptidase. -Lactam antibiotics function as substrates for the transpeptidase, thereby establishing selective inhibition of bacterial cell wall synthesis. The structural similarity between -lactam antibiotics and the alanylalanine unit is remarkable as can be seen in Figure 6.8. 

Silver and mercury salts have a long history of use as antibacterial agents.241-243 The use of mercurochrome ((40), Figure 18) as a topical disinfectant is now discouraged. Silver sulfadiazene (38) finds use for treatment of severe burns the polymeric material slowly releases the antibacterial Ag+ ion. Silver nitrate is still used in many countries to prevent ophthalmic disease in newborn children.244 The mechanism of action of Ag and Hg is through slow release of the active metal ion—inhibition of thiol function in bacterial cell walls gives a rationale for the specificity of bacteriocidal action. 

Bacterial cell walls contain different types of negatively charged (proton-active) functional groups, such as carboxyl, hydroxyl and phosphoryl that can adsorb metal cations, and retain them by mineral nucleation. Reversed titration studies on live, inactive Shewanella putrefaciens indicate that the pH-buffering properties of these bacteria arise from the equilibrium ionization of three discrete populations of carboxyl (pKa = 5.16 0.04), phosphoryl (oKa = 7.22 0.15), and amine (/ Ka = 10.04 0.67) groups (Haas et al. 2001). These functional groups control the sorption and binding of toxic metals on bacterial cell surfaces. 

Fowle et al. (2000) have measured the sorption by a soil bacterium (B. subtilis) of uranyl in 0.1 M NaC104 at 25°C as a function of pH, time, and solid solute ratio, using a batch technique. The stoichiometiy and thermodynamic stability of the important uranyl-surface complexes indicated that uranyl formed two different surface complexes, one involving neutral phosphate functional groups, and another with deprotonated carboxyl functional groups, on the bacterial cell wall ... 

Molecular simulation methods can be a complement to surface complexation modeling on metal-bacteria adsorption reactions, which provides a more detailed and atomistic information of how metal cations interact with specific functional groups within bacterial cell wall. Johnson et al., (2006) applied molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to analyze equilibrium structures, coordination bond distances of metal-ligand complexes. 

The main interest in azacyclobutanes is reserved for azetidin-2-ones ( 3-lactams), as this ring system is found in penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics (Box 8.2). These compounds are effective because the (3-lactam ring is strained and readily reacts with the enzyme transpepidase, responsible for the development of the bacterial cell wall. The ring of the lactam is cleaved by this enzyme, which becomes 0-acylated in the process (Scheme 8.6). Once this occurs the enzyme s normal cross-linking function is lost and the cell wall is ruptured. 

Mechanism of Action A second-generation cephalosporin that binds to bacterial cell membranes. Therapeutic Effect Inhibits synthesis of bacterial cell wall. Bactericidal. Pharmacokinetics Well absorbed from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Protein binding 56%-78%. Widely distributed. Primarily excreted unchanged in urine and high concentrations in feces. Moderately removed by hemodialysis. HaJf-Jife 0.5-1 hr (half-life is increased with impaired renal function). 

Mechanism of Action A penicillin that acts as a bactericidal in susceptible microorganisms. Therapeutic Effect Inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis. Bactericidal. Pharmacokinetics Poorly absorbed from gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Protein binding 87%-90%. Metabolized in liver. Primarily excreted in urine. Not removed by hemodialysis. Half-life 10.5-1 hr (half-life increased with imparted renal function). 

A good example of this interaction in catalysis is the hydrolysis of the bacterial cell wall polysaccharide by lysozyme. This enzyme contains two carboxylic gronps at its active site and, in active enzyme one must be in dissociated—COO, the other in the undissociated—COOH form. Therefore, the pK s of the two carboxylic groups ate different. This difference in dissociation constant is a consequence of the neighbouring amino acid residues and of the interactions between the functional groups in the microenvironment. 

TThe primary function of D-amino acid oxidase, present at high levels in the kidney, is thought to be the detoxification of ingested D-amino acids derived from bacterial cell walls and from cooked foodstuffs (heat causes some spontaneous racemization of the l-amino acids in proteins). Oxalate, whether obtained in foods or produced enzymatically in the kidneys, has medical significance. Crystals of calcium oxalate account for up to 75% of all kidney stones. ... 

T Although D-amino acids do not generally occur in proteins, they do serve some special functions in the structure of bacterial cell walls and peptide antibiotics. Bacterial peptidoglycans (see Fig. 20-23) contain both D-alanine and D-glutamate. D-Amino acids arise directly from the l isomers by the action of amino acid racemases, which have pyridoxal phosphate as cofactor (see Fig. 18-6). Amino acid racemization is uniquely important to bacterial metabolism, and enzymes such as... 

Fig. 31. Distribution functions of the jump time (NMR) at 0 °C for liquid water, ice, adsorbed water on a) porous glass AG 39, b) zeolite, c) charcoal and d) bacterial cell walls. (Belfort etal.196))...

Inhibition of Bacterial Cell Wall Synthesis and Function... 

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