Wall teichoic acid function, biosynthesis, and inhibition

Abstract

(Figure Presented) Off the wall: Wall teichoic acids (WTAs) are negatively charged glycopolymers found in dense arrays on the surface of Gram-positive bacteria. WTAs have profound effects on the physiology of Gram-positive organisms, and impact everything from cation homeostasis to antibiotic susceptibility to survival in a host. This review summarizes recent advances made toward understanding WTA function, biosynthesis and inhibition. © 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.