Preparation and Characterization of Intact Globular Cell Wall Peptidoglycan from Micrococcus lysodeikticus

Abstract

The intact globular cell wall peptidoglycan was prepared from Micrococcus lysodeikticus without any mechanical disruption. The purification procedure consists mainly of proteolytic digestion and extractions with hot 5% TCA and with 0.01 N NaOH. The purified preparation showed an amphoteric, heteroporous three-dimensional network structure of the peptidoglycan, which amounted to 77% of the dry weight of the preparation, retaining the chemical and morphological integrity as judged by an electron microscopic observation and chemical analyses.