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1.1.Bacterial Cell
celled, except when they exist in colonies. These ancestral cells reproduce by
means of binary fission, duplicating their genetic material and then essentially
splitting to form two daughter cells identical to the parent. A wall located outside
the cell membrane provides the cell support, and protection against mechanical
stress or damage from osmotic rupture and lysis . The major component of the
bacterial cell wall is peptidoglycan or murein. This rigid structure of
peptidoglycan, specific only to prokaryotes, gives the cell shape and surrounds
the cytoplasmic membrane. Peptidoglycan is a huge polymer of disaccharides
(glycan) cross-linked by short chains of identical amino acids (peptides)
monomers. The backbone of the peptidoglycan molecule is composed of two
derivatives of glucose: N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and N-acetlymuramic acid
(NAM) with a pentapeptide coming off NAM and varying slightly among bacteria.
The NAG and NAM strands are synthesized in the cytosol of the bacteria. They
are connected by inter-peptide bridges. They are transported across the
cytoplasmic membrane by a carrier molecule called bactoprenol. From the
peptidoglycan inwards all bacterial cells are very similar. Going further out, the
bacterial world divides into two major classes: Gram positive (Gram +) and Gram
negative (Gram -). The cell wall provides important ligands for adherence
and receptor sites for viruses or antibiotics.
Gram-positive
Relatively thick and featureless (electron microscope)
Major component (~50%) is peptidoglycan
No lipid and often no protein
Accessory polymers (teichoic acid and/or teichuronic acid) covalently
linked to peptidoglycan
Gram-negative
The cell envelope consists of a pair of membranes (cytoplasmic and outer)
with a thin, intermediate layer of peptidoglycan
The outer membrane contains lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as well as lipids
and proteins. LPS is located exclusively in the outer leaflet: lipid embedded
in the membrane, polysaccharide protruding. This makes the bacteria
appear rather fuzzy under an electron microscope.
3. Enzymes Involved
ENZYMES INVOLVED IN THE LAST STAGES OF PEPTIDOGLYCAN
SYNTHESIS
Detection of the involved enzymes