Cell walls of Propionibacterium species: fractionation and composition

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Abstract
Cell walls of P. peterssonii and P. rubrum were prepared and analyzed. They were very similar in composition and contained D-glutamic-acid, D- and L-alanine, LL-diaminopimelic-acid, glycine, muramic-acid, glucosamine, galactosamine, glucose and galactose. The walls were not digested by lysozyme, but could be made susceptible by treatment with formamide at 170[degree]. No other reagents had this effect. Fractionation of walls of P. peterssonii by density-gradient centrifugation produced 2 homogeneous fractions. There was also some material which sedimented to the botton of the gradient. In addition to mucopeptide components, the lighter of the fractions contained 23% carbohydrate but very little protein; and the denser fraction contained 13% carbohydrate and considerable amounts of protein. Hot formamide treatment of walls removed most of the carbohydrate and protein and a small amount of a teichoic-acid-like material. The residues resembled typical walls under the electron microscope. The approximate molar ratios of the remaining amino-acids of both fractions were D-glutamic-acid l,D-alanine 1, L-alanine 1, LL-diamino-pimelic-acid 1, and glycine 1; there was 0.5 mole or less of muramic-acid and each of the 2 hexosamines. In all types of wall fractions glycine was almost the only end-amino group.

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