Teichoic acids, interaction with

Lipoteichoic acids (from gram-positive bacteria) [56411-57-5J. Extracted by hot phenol/water from disrupted cells. Nucleic acids that were also extracted were removed by treatment with nucleases. Nucleic resistant acids, proteins, polysaccharides and teichoic acids were separated from lipoteichoic acids by anion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel or by hydrophobic interaction on octyl-Sepharose [Fischer et al. Ear J Biochem 133 523 1983]. 

Another physiological role of both types of teichoic acids is their interaction with autolytic enzymes and the regulation of their activity5> 32). 

Reeder and Eckstedt389 studied the interaction of con A with teichoic acids from Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis by gel diffusion, and precipitation in a fluid system. The teichoic acid from strain Tj of S. epidermidis contains a-D-glucopyranosyl residues, and it precipitated with con A, whereas strain T2, which is /3-D-glucosylated, did not. Classical precipitin curves resulted when con A interacted with strains T2 and 412 (also a-D-glucosylated) the precipitation was specifically inhibited by D-glucose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, and methyl a- and /3-D-glucopyranosides.389... 

Interaction of WGA with a soluble, linear peptidoglycan secreted by Micrococcus luteus, and with the teichoic acid of Staphyloccus aureus H, was demonstrated by agaT-gel diffusion, quantitative precipitation, and inhibition of trypsinized rabbit-erythrocyte hemagglutination.500 No interaction was observed with the teichoic acid from a phage-resistant mutant (S. aureus 52A2) that lacked 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose residues. 

SpA-containing Staphylococci (Section 3.3), fixed with trichloroacetic acid (TCA) or formalin (Section 3.3.1), may also serve as immunosorbent for many mammalian antibodies (Table 7.1). Both fixation procedures are satisfactory but yield products with different properties. Fixation of Staphylococci with hot TCA (Lindmark, 1982) removes the negatively charged cell-wall polymer teichoic acid, producing an IgG-sorbent which can bind 1.4 mg human IgG per ml of a 10% (v/v) suspension of bacteria and is stable for about 5 months. Formalin-fixed bacteria (Kessler, 1976) bind 35% more IgG and are stable for at least 1 year. However, IgG can be eluted quantitatively from TCA-fixed bacteria but not from formalin-fixed bacteria, probably due to the interaction between IgG and teichoic acid, unless 80 mM MgCh is included in the acid buffer. 

Investigation of the cell-wall composition and associated properties of strains of Staphylococcus aureus, which are resistant to methicillin, has not revealed evidence for any unusual wall polymers/ The ribitol teichoic acid isolated from Staphylococcus hyicus contains 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucosyl residues. Interaction of the teichoic acid with concanavalin A, and its susceptibility to 0C-, but not to 3-D-2-acetamido-2-deoxyglucosidase, showed that the amino-sugar is in the a-configuration. 

The pattern of cleavage of the cell wall of B. subtilis by purified iV-acetyl-muramic acid L-alanine amidase has been studied in the absence, and in the presence, of a modifier protein that combines stoicheiometrically with the enzyme to stimulate its activity. The modifier protein did not affect the rate of the enzymic reaction, but changed the mode of cleavage of the cell wall from a random pattern to a sequential pattern. Binding of the enzyme to the cell wall and functional interaction with the modifier protein occurred only when the cell wall contained teichoic acids. It appears that cell-wall teichoic acids act as specific allosteric ligands for bacterial lytic enzymes. 

Adhesion of microorganisms to the intestinal mucosa is a key feature in colonization and is related to the ability of probiotics to interact with the host in order to exert beneficial health effects. Species- and strain-specific colonization strategies involve proteinaceous compounds as well as teichoic and lipoteicoic acids, peptidoglycans, and EPS. Extracellular proteins, that include cell-envelope and secreted proteins, represent the first-line interaction with the mucus layer of the GIT... 

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