Premium
Sulphation of a repetitive saccharide in halobacterial cell wall glycoprotein
Author(s) -
Wieland F.,
Lechner J.,
Bernhardt G.,
Sumper M.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(81)81188-x
Subject(s) - chemistry
In [l] we reported that the halobacterial cell wall glycoprotein, studied in detail [2], contains at least two species of sulphated saccharides: amino-sugar free oligosaccharides of low M, and one high M, saccharide (HM,-saccharide) containing mainly amino-sugars and galactose (heterosaccharide). The gel electrophoretic pattern of this sulphated ‘heterosaccharide’ gave rise to the assumption that it represents a repetitive sequence of a sulphated unit rather than a heterosaccharide structure. The function of this glycoconjugate in determining the rod form of the bacteria has been suggested [ 1,3]. Here we prove the suggested repetitive structure of this saccharide. Furthermore, a sulphated lipid-linked precursor of this glycoconjugate is described indicating a biosynthetic pathway different from that known for glycosaminoglycans.