Cell wall glycopolymers of Streptomyces albus, Streptomyces albidoflavus and Streptomyces pathocidini.

The cell wall glycopolymers of three strains of Streptomyces albus and the type strain of Streptomyces pathocidini were investigated. The structures of the glycopolymers were established using a combination of chemical and NMR spectroscopic methods. The cell wall of S. albus subsp. albus VKM Ac-35(T) was found to be comprised of three glycopolymers, viz. unsubstituted 1,5-poly(ribitol phosphate), 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate) substituted with β-D-glucopyranose, and the major polymer, a 3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-non-2-ulosonic acid (Kdn)-teichulosonic acid: β-D-Glcp-(1 → 8)-α-Kdnp-(2[(→6)-β-D-Glcp-(1 → 8)-α-Kdnp-(2 →] n 6)-β-D-Glcp-(1 → 8)-β-Kdnp-(2-OH, where n ≥ 3. The cell walls of 'S. albus' J1074 and 'S. albus' R1-100 were found to contain three glycopolymers of identical structures, viz. unsubstituted 1,3- and 2,3-poly(glycerol phosphates), and the major polymer, a Kdn-teichulosonic acid with an unusual structure that has not been previously described: β-D-Galp-(1 → 9)-α-Kdnp-(2[(→3)-β-D-Galp-(1 → 9)-α-Kdnp-(2 →] n 3)-β-D-Galp-(1 → 9)-β-Kdnp-(2-OH, where n ~ 7-8. The cell wall of S. pathocidini (formerly S. albus subsp. pathocidicus) VKM Ac-598(T) was found to contain two glycopolymers, viz. 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate) partially O-glycosylated with 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranose and/or O-acylated with L-lysine, and a poly(diglycosyl 1-phosphate) of hitherto unknown structure: -6)-α-D-Glcp-(1 → 6)-α-D-GlcpNAc-(1-P-.