Structure of linkage region between ribitol teichoic acid and peptidoglycan in cell walls of Staphylococcus aureus H.

The cell walls of Staphylococcus aureus H were found to contain mannosamine in an amount (28.1 nmol/mg) comparable to the content of muramic acid 6-phosphate. The acidic polymer fraction obtained by heating the cell walls at pH 2.5 was shown to contain mannosamine and glycerol in addition to the components of ribitol teichoic acid. Mild alkali treatment of this polymer fraction followed by gel filtration resulted in separation of a disaccharide N-acetylmannosaminyl(1 leads to 4)N-acetylglucosamine and the ribitol teichoic acid moiety that contained glycerol. Smith degradation of the reduction product from the same polymer fraction gave a fragment characterized as (1,2-ethylene-diol phosphate)-(glycerol phosphate)3-N-acetylmannosaminyl(1 leads to 4)N-acetylxylosaminitol. Thus, the ribitol teichoic acid chain in the cell walls is probably linked to peptidoglycan through a linkage unit, (glycerol phosphate)3-N-acetylmannosaminyl(1 leads to 4)N-acetylglucosamine.