Abstract
The chemical composition of peptidoglycan in gram-negative obligately anaerobic rods was qualitatively analysed by paper chromatography. meso-Diaminopimeric acid (meso-Dpm), as a constituent of the peptidoglycan, was detected in Bacteroides fragilis, B. vulgatus, B. thetaiotaomicron, B. ruminicola, B. oralis, B. ochraceus, B. melaninogenicus var. melaninogenicus, B. melaninogenicus var. intermedius, B. asaccharolyticus, B. hypermegas, B. multiacidus, Fusobacterium varium, and F. mortiferum by one-dimensional paper chromatography. meso-Dpm was also detected in the cell walls of B. splachnicus, B. succinogenes, and B. amylophilus. Lanthionine (Lan) was demonstrated in the peptidoglycan of F. nucleatum, F. fusiforme, and F. necrophorum. But B. furcosus contained neither meso-Dpm nor Lan.
By two-dimensional paper chromatography, it was demonstrated that the peptidoglycan of B. fragilis NCTC 9343, B. ruminicola ATCC 19188, B. ruminicola C 12, B. oralis ATCC 15930, B. oralis J 1, B. ochraceus 2467 B, B. melaninogenicus var. melaninogenicus ATCC 25261, B. melaninogenicus var. intermedius O 33, B. hypermegas ATCC 25560, B. multiacidus ATCC 27723, and F. mortiferum ATCC 9817 contained meso-Dpm, glutamic acid (Glu), alanine (Ala), glucosamine (GlcNH2), and muramic acid (Mur). The peptidoglycan of F. necrophorum ATCC 25286, and F. fusiforme ATCC 23726 contained Lan, Glu, Ala, GlcNH2, and Mur. Several strains of the bacteria mentioned above, further, contained aspartic acid (Asp), Serine (Ser), and Glycine. The peptidoglycan of B. furcosus ATCC 25662 contained Asp, Glu, Ser, Ala, GlcNH2, and Mur.
