Bacteria cell wall structures

Most bacteria live in a hypotoneic environment. This means that the [solute] of their cytoplasm is greater than the
[solute] in the environment. Under these conditions, water from the environment would spontaneously flow across
the membrane and into the cytoplasm. Because the phospholipids of the membranes are not covalently bonded
together, the bacterial cells can swell and burst due to the osmotic flow of water.
The membranes of bacteria are stabilized by cell walls. Most bacteria have cell walls. The cell wall structure
allows bacteria to be divided into two groups: Gram-positive and Gram-negative. The terms Gram-positive and
Gram-negative refer to the ability of the cell walls to retain a particular stain.
Peptidoglycan (PG) is a huge mesh-like structure made of glycan chains and a tetrapeptide. The glycan chains are
made of sugars that are synthesized by the bacteria. The tetrapeptide cross-links the glycan chains. Because of the
covalent bonds that the link the sugars of the glycan chains and the covalent bonds of the cross-linking
tetrapeptides, the PG provides mechanical strength to the bacterial membrane to protect it from osmotic lysis. PG
is only found in bacteria.
Gram-positive cell walls are composed primarily of peptidoglycan (PG), as many as 20 layers think. Other
structures like cell wall proteins and teichoic acid may poke through the PG mesh. Some of the cell wall proteins
may be involved in attachment to surfaces. The function of the teichoic acid is not understood.
A phagocytic cell may engulf a Gram-positive bacteria after its phagocytic receptors bind to a cell wall protein.
The phagocytic cell may then recognize it as danger when a TLR recognizes the PG structure of the cell wall.
Gram-negative bacteria have a slightly more complicated cell wall structure. They have only 1 or 2 layers of PG,
and an additional membrane layer external to the PG (the outer membrane). The outer membrane is a bilayer
composed of phospholipids, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoproteins and porins. The LPS is composed of both
lipids and polysaccharides and is found only in Gram-negative bacteria.
A phagocytic cell may engulf a Gram-negative bacteria after its phagocytic receptors bind to a lipoprotein or porin
structure. The phagocytic cell may then recognize it as danger when a TLR recognizes the LPS structure of the
cell wall.
Gram-positive cell wall

Gram-negative cell wall

http://faculty.ccbcmd.edu/courses/bio141/lecguide/unit1/prostruct/gpcw.html