CELL-WALL TEICHURONIC ACID CONTAINING 3-O-METHYLRHAMNOSE AND GLUCURONIC-ACID IN CATELLATOSPORA-FERRUGINEA, A SOIL ACTINOMYCETE

In our previous study, 3-O-methylrhamnose (acofriose) was found in strains containing MK-10 as the major menaquinone in the genus Catellatospora. The localization of this taxonomically important sugar was investigated with C. ferruginea 6257-C. This strain had two types of cell-wall polysaccharides, neutral and acidic, which were covalently bonded to the peptidoglycan. 3-O-methylrhamnose was strictly localized in the acidic polysaccharide which predominantly contained glucuronic acid. Thus, this acidic polysaccharide can be called a cell-wall teichuronic acid and this is the first report of teichuronic acid in spore-forming actinomycetes. This teichuronic acid did not replace teichoic acid which contained phosphate instead of uronic acid, despite the high phosphate concentrations in the growth medium. © 1990 by the Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry. All rights reserved.