CHEMISTRY OF CELL WALLS 45 



has been studied by Armstrong et al.^^ and is presented in 

 Table 18. 



Glycerophosphate polymers have been detected in a num- 

 ber of Gram-positive bacteria by McCarty,*^^ but he was un- 

 able to find these localized in the walls. These polymers 

 thus probably differ from the glycerol type of teichoic acid, 

 which in common with the ribitol teichoic acids contain 

 O-alanyl groups.®^ 



The teichoic acids can be extracted from the isolated walls 

 with trichloroacetic acid (TCA), and Armstrong et al.^^ sug- 

 gest that they may be bound to the other wall constituents 

 by salt linkages. However, conditions for extraction with 



TABLE 18 

 Distribution of Teichoic Acids in Bacterial Cell Walls 



Type of Polymer 



Glycerol Ribitol 



Lactobacillus arabinosus 17-5 — + 



Lactobacillus casei (AT.C. 7469) 



Lactobacillus delbriickii (N.C.I.B. 8608) 



Lactobacillus bulgaricus (N.C.I.B. 76) 



Staphylococcus aureus H 



Staphylococcus aureus (Duncan) 



Staphylococcus aureus (Oxford) 



Staphylococcus citreus 



Staphylococcus albus (N.C.T.C. 7944) 



Bacillus subtilis (vegetative form) 



Escherichia coli Type B 



Corynebacterium xerosis 



Streptococcus faecalis (A.T.C. 9790) 



Reference 68. 



