Anionic carbohydrate-containing polymers of cell walls in two streptoverticille genospecies

The cell walls of two streptoverticille genospecies which belong to a historically isolated group of the genus Streptomyces contain anionic polymers of different structure. Streptomyces hachijoensis VKM Ac-191T and Streptomyces cinnamoneus subsp. azacoluta VKM Ac-606T assigned to one genospecies on the basis of DNA--DNA hybridization [5] contain 37% of an identical sugar-1-phosphate polymer. The repeating disaccharide units of the polymer, 2-amino-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-al pha-D-glucopyranose, are linked at C-1 and C-6' by phosphodiester bonds. The cell walls of Streptomyces biverticillatus VKM Ac-891T and Streptomyces baldaccii VKM Ac-821T, members of another genospecies, contain about 30% 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate) completely substituted by 2-amino-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl residues at C-2. Due to the presence of an amino sugar with a free amino group in the repeating unit, the polymers exhibit neutral properties. Polymer structures were determined by chemical methods and NMR spectroscopy. The data indicate taxonomic specificity of anionic polymers in streptoverticille cell walls.