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AAT Bioquest

What connects layers of peptidoglycan to each other?

Posted June 30, 2021


Answer

Peptidoglycan layers are connected by teichoic acids. Teichoic acids are linear polymers made up of polyglycerol or polyribitol substituted with phosphates and a few amino acids and sugars. These teichoic acid polymers run perpendicular to the peptidoglycan layers connecting them to each other.

The presence of teichoic acid is unique to Gram-positive bacteria, which have multiple layers of peptidoglycan in their cell wall. Gram-negative bacteria have only one layer of peptidoglycan in their cell wall

Additional resources

Teichoic acids are temporal and spatial regulators of peptidoglycan cross-linking in Staphylococcus aureus

MycoLight™ Rapid Fluorescence Gram-Positive Bacteria Staining Kit