The Structure of the Branching Point between Acidic Polysaccharide kind Peptidoglycan in Micrococcus lysodeikticus Cell Wall

Abstract
An acidic polysaccharide fraction composed of glucose and N-acetylmannosaminuronic acid with a small portion of peptidoglycan was isolated by enzymic digestion and subsequent ECTEOLA-cellulose chromatography from the cell walls of Micrococcus Iysodeikticus. On mild acid treatment, the fraction became Morgan-Elson positive and formed the Morgan-Elson chromogen on heating with phosphate buffer (pH 7). The product of mild acid treatment released inorganic phosphate on treatment with phosphomonoesterase. After gel-chromatography on Sephadex G-25 and DE-32, the acidic polysaccharide fraction contained less glucosamine than muramic acid. By reduction of this fraction with borohydride, a part of the glucosamine was converted into glucosaminitol. Based on these results, it is suggested that the acidic polysaccharide is linked to glucosamine by a (1–3) linkage, which is linked to the 6 position of a muramic acid residue by a phosphodiester inkage.