Amino Sugars in L Forms of Bacteria and Pleuropneumonia-like Organisms.

Sharp, John T. (Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.). Amino sugars in L forms of bacteria and pleuropneumonia-like organisms. J. Bacteriol. 86:692-701. 1963.-Studies of several bacterial L forms and their parent bacteria have revealed similar amino sugars in the two forms of microorganisms, with the exception that muramic acid was absent from the streptococcal and staphylococcal L forms. In contrast, muramic acid was found in a Proteus L form. Some of the properties of the muramic acid component in the Proteus L form are described. The solubility of this material was observed to be very different in the L form as compared with the bacterium. Some implications of this observation are discussed. Two strains of pleuropneumonia-like organisms did not contain muramic acid.