Gram-negative bacteria cell wall

Endotoxin is a term often used synonymously with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a major component of the Gram-negative bacterial cell wall. Endotoxin has been estimated to make up between 3 and 4% of the dry weight of Escherichia coli K12. The LPS molecule consists of a Lipid A component anchored in the outer membrane. This is attached to a series of saccharide units specific for different strains of Gram-negative bacteria. LPS is extremely heat stable and needs to be heated to 180 °C for three hours to ensure inactivation. When injected into the bloodstream, it activates the alternative complement pathway and produces a pyrogenic reaction. Studies on laboratory animals have shown that it can produce severe reactions when inhaled in microgram quantities. ... 

Upopolysaccharides (14) are cell wall components of gram-negative bacteria. 

A lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is any compound consisting of covalently linked lipids and polysaccharides. The term is used more frequently to denote a cell wall component from Gram-negative bacteria. LPS has endotoxin activities and is a polyclonal stimulator of B-lymphocytes. 

C. trachomatis possesses characteristics resembling both bacteria and viruses. Its major membrane is comparable to that of gram-negative bacteria, although it lacks a peptidoglycan cell wall and requires cellular components from the host for replication. Chlamydia transmission risk is thought to be less than that of gonorrhea. 

In Gram-negative bacteria the cell wall is only about 3 nm thick, and located in the extended periplasmatic space between the inner membrane (IM) and an additional outer membrane (OM). The lipid monolayer in the outer leaflet of the OM contains about 90% lipopolysaccharides (LPS). LPS consist of Lipid A and an oligosaccharide component, which is highly specific for individual bacterial species and phenotypes [108, 114]. 

In Gram-negative bacteria which are characterised by a rather complex cell envelope, the CM is also referred to as inner membrane to distinguish it from a second lipid bilayer, termed outer membrane (OM). The space between these two layers is called the periplasm (PP). In the periplasmic space, many proteins are found with a variety of functions. Some are involved in biosynthesis and/or export of cell wall components and surface structures (e.g. pili, flagellae,... 

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