We isolated a temperature-sensitive mutant with a mutation in mviN, an essential gene in Escherichia coli. At the nonpermissive temperature, mviN mutant cells swelled and burst. An intermediate in murein synthesis, polyprenyl diphosphate-N-acetylmuramic acid-(pentapeptide)-N-acetyl-glucosamine, accumulated in mutant cells. These results indicated that MviN is involved in murein synthesis.

A chemoenzymatic synthesis of sialic acid from inexpensive N-acetyl-D-glucosamine is described. In a three-step Wittig-protection-ozonolysis strategy manno-configured aldehydes are obtained. Treatment with oxaloacetate in the presence of macrophomate synthase affords the signature α-keto-γ-hydroxy acid moiety with high diastereoselectivity.

Cells of Bacillus megaterium can use the externally added precursors UDP-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and UDP-N-acetylD mU!‘aIUyl L danyl D ghItamy1 mes o diaminopimelyl D alanyl-n-alanine to synthesize peptidoglycan if the bacteria were first treated with toluene. Toluene-treated bacteria could polymerize these precursors into peptidoglycan which was attached to previously existing cell wall by pept...

BACKGROUND N-acetyl-β-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc)6 is extensively used as an important bio-agent and a functional food additive. The traditional chemical process for GlcNAc production has some problems such as high production cost, low yield, and acidic pollution. Therefore, to discover a novel chitinase that is suitable for bioconversion of chitin to GlcNAc would be of great value. RESULTS Here, ...

A rapid method for the analysis of carbohydrate-protein interactions by using fluorescent labeling and SDS-PAGE was developed. The N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosamine-WGA complex and alpha-D-mannose-Con A complex were labeled with 8-aminonaphthalene-1,3,6-trisulfonate (ANTS). The protein band displaying fluorescence with ultraviolet illumination was seen after SDS-PAGE.

In the present study ultrastructural localization of binding sites for 5 lectins was studied in rat liver cell surface membrane fractions. For this purpose ferritin-coupled Concanavalin A, wheat germ agglutinin, soybean agglutinin, Ricinus communis agglutinin 120 and Lotus tetragonolobus agglutinin I were used as probes for mannose, N-acetyl glucosamine, N-acetyl galactosamine, galactose and fu...

N-Acetyl-ß-D-hexosaminidases (EC 3.2.1.52) from Artemia nauplii were isolated and char­ acterized. Three different enzymes I, II, and II2 were separated according to their behaviour on anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration columns. Their apparent molecular masses were 83,000 ± 7000, 110,000 ± 10,000 and 56,000 ± 5000 Da with corresponding S-values o f 8.6, 11.9 and 7.9. All three enz...

The objective of this study is to determine the role of carbohydrates on the toxic effect of parasporal inclusion proteins isolated from Malaysian mosquitocidal Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains on erythrocytes (human and rat). Dose response analyses on the effect of these parasporal inclusions on human and rat erythrocytes suggest that toxin action is selective depending on bacterial strains...

Bandeiraea simplicifolia I (BS I) isolectins, immobilized on Sepharose beads, specifically retarded low molecular weight ligands containing terminal cu-o-galactopyranosyl and 2acetamido-2-deoxy-a-D-galactopyranosyl residues. A BS I lectin-Sepharose column has been used to perform very efficient separations of structurally homologous sugar nucleotides and oligosaccharides. For example, UDP-gluco...