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The absence of D-alanine from lipoteichoic acid and wall teichoic acid alters surface charge, enhances autolysis and increases susceptibility to methicillin in Bacillus subtilis

Robert Koch-Institut, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
Institut für Biochemie, University Erlangen-Nürnberg, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany

Author for correspondence: Jorg Weeke. Tel: +49 30 4547 2219. Fax: +49 30 4547 2606.

ABSTRACT

Summary: In Bacillus subtilis the physiological consequences of depriving lipoteichoic acid and wall teichoic acid of D-alanine ester were analysed using insertional inactivation of the genes of the dlt operon. Mutant strains which lacked positively charged D-alanine ester in teichoic acids bound more positively charged cytochrome C than other strains. These mutant strains also showed enhanced autolysis and a higher susceptibility to methicillin, which was expressed as accelerated wall lysis, a faster loss of viability and a slower recovery in the postantibiotic phase. The effects of methicillin could be suppressed by simultaneous addition of magnesium ions at low concentrations. The degradation of whole bacteria by bone-marrow-derived macrophages was not influenced by the surface charge and alanylation of the teichoic acids had no protective effect.

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