Structure of a Micrococcus lysodeikticus cell wall fragment containing phosphorylated sugars

A polysaccharide-peptidoglycan complex containing different phosphorylated sugars from Micrococcus lysodeikticus cell wall has been isolated and purified. The peptidoglycan contained muramic acid 6-phosphate and N-acetylglucosamine 6-phosphate as phosphorylated sugars in addition to other sugar residues. Mild acid hydrolysis of the peptidoglycan and subsequent reduction of the released polysaccharide showed therein the presence of glucose and N-acetyl-glucosamine in the linkage of the external polysaccharide residues to the peptidoglycan through phosphodiester linkage. These data suggest the presence of polysaccharide chains linked to a peptidoglycan core through two phosphorylated sugars via two different terminal carbohydrate residues of the external polysaccharide chains in a same polymer.