scholarly journals Cutting and Stitching: The Cross-Linking of Peptidoglycan in the Assembly of the Bacterial Cell Wall

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (9) ◽  
pp. 602-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Buynak
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Bacterial Cell ◽  
Bacterial Cell Wall ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
The Cross

An interaction between lysozyme and penicillin

1967 ◽  
Vol 167 (1009) ◽  
pp. 439-440 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Recent Work ◽  
Bacterial Cell ◽  
Structural Similarity ◽  
Antibiotic Activity ◽  
Bacterial Cell Wall ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
Cell Wall Synthesis ◽  
Knowing That ◽  
Reactive Groups

Collins & Richmond (1962) have drawn attention to the close structural similarity between the reactive groups of penicillin and the reactive groups of N -acetylmuramic acid and, knowing that penicillin interferes with the synthesis of the bacterial cell wall, they have suggested that the antibiotic activity might possibly be explained in terms of a confusion between these two molecules by the cell wall synthesizing enzymes. Although recent work (Anderson, Matsukashi, Haskin & Strominger 1965; Wise & Park 1965; Tipper & Strominger 1965) has shown that penicillin appears to act by blocking the peptide cross-linking stage of bacterial cell wall synthesis rather than the polysaccharide polymerization stage, we wondered if lysozyme might bind penicillin purely on the basis of its structural similarity to N -acetylmuramic acid, a molecule for which lysozyme must have a specificity since it is part of the substrate of lysozyme.

scholarly journals The importance of being cross-linked for the bacterial cell wall

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garima Rani ◽  
Issan Patri
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Bacterial Cell ◽  
Turgor Pressure ◽  
Length Distribution ◽  
Peptide Bond ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Bacterial Cell Wall ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
Strand Length

AbstractThe bacterial cell wall is primarily composed of a mesh of stiff glycan strands cross-linked by peptide bridges and is essential for safeguarding the cell. The structure of the cell wall has to be stiff enough to bear the high turgor pressure and sufficiently tough to ensure protection against failure. Here we explore the role of various design features of the cell in enhancing the toughness of the cell wall. We explain how the glycan strand length distribution and the degree of cross-linking can play a vital role in ensuring that the cell wall offers sufficient resistance to propagation of cracks. We suggest a possible mechanism by which peptide bond hydrolysis can also help mitigate this risk of failure. We also study the reinforcing effect of MreB on the cell wall and conclude that the cross-linked structure of the cell wall plays the more important role in safeguarding against mechanical failure due to cracking.

Role of bacterial cell wall proteinase in antihypertension

2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 209-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bénédicte Flambard
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Bacterial Cell ◽  
Bacterial Cell Wall
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