The architecture of the Gram-positive bacterial cell wall.

ABSTRACT: The primary structural component of the bacterial cell wall is peptidoglycan, which is essential for viability and the synthesis of which is the target for crucial antibiotics^1,2. Peptidoglycan is a single macromolecule made of glycan chains crosslinked by peptide side branches that surrounds the cell, acting as a constraint to internal turgor^1,3. In Gram-positive bacteria, peptidoglycan is tens of nanometres thick, generally portrayed as a homogeneous structure that provides mechanical strength^4-6. Here we applied atomic force microscopy^7-12 to interrogate the morphologically distinct Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis species, using live cells and purified peptidoglycan. The mature surface of live cells is characterized by a landscape

SUBMITTER: Pasquina-Lemonche L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7308169 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature