Membrane lipoteichoic acid of Streptococcus pyogenes and its stabilized L form and the effect of two antibiotics upon its cellular content

Abstract

Membrane lipoteichoic acid continues to be synthesized by an osmotically fragile, stabilized L form of S. pyogenes. Chromatographic and electrophoretic comparisons indicate that the lipid component of lipoteichoic acid in this L form and its parental streptococcus is glycerophosphoryldiglucosyl diglyceride and not phosphatidylkojibiosyl diglyceride. Based upon dry weight determinations, the yield of lipoteichoic acid from the L form is 0.19%, as compared with 0.97% from the streptococcus. When grown with bacitracin, the L form contains the same amount of teichoic acid as when grown without this antibiotic; however, its lipoteichoic acid content is reduced by 85%. Similarly, the L form grown with novobiocin for 10 h contains only 17% of the teichoic acid found in control cells.