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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Celery (Apium graveolens) parenchyma cell walls: cell walls with minimal xyloglucan.

The primary walls of celery (Apium graveolens L.) parenchyma cells were isolated and their polysaccharide components characterized by glycosyl linkage analysis, cross-polarization magic-angle spinning solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (CP/MAS 13C NMR) and X-ray diffraction. Glycosyl linkage analysis showed that the cell walls consisted of mainly cellulose (43 mol%) and pectic polysaccharides (51 mol%), comprising rhamnogalacturonan (28 mol%), arabinan (12 mol%) and galactan (11 mol%). The amounts of xyloglucan (2 mol%) and xylan (2 mol%) detected in the cell walls were strikingly low. The small amount of xyloglucan present means that it cannot coat the cellulose microfibrils. Solid-state 13C NMR signals were consistent with the constituents identified by glycosyl linkage analysis and allowed the walls to be divided into three domains, based on the rigidity of the polymers. Cellulose (rigid) and rhamnogalacturonan (semi-mobile) polymers responded to the CP/MAS 13C NMR pulse sequence and were distinguished by differences in proton spin relaxation time constants. The arabinans, the most mobile polymers, responded to single-pulse excitation (SPE), but not CP/MAS 13C NMR. From solid-state 13C NMR of the cell walls the diameter of the crystalline cellulose microfibrils was determined to be approximately 3 nm while X-ray diffraction of the cell walls gave a value for the diameter of approximately 2 nm.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Cell walls, cell shape, and bacterial actin homologs.

The synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer, one of the key determinants of cell shape in B. subtilis, has been shown by Daniel and Errington to occur in a helical pattern. This pattern is generated by the actin homolog Mbl.

Actins↗
PubMed1980

Characterization of the cell wall and cell wall proteins of Chromatium vinosum.

Highly purified cell walls of Chromatium vinosum were isolated by differential centrifugation, with or without Triton X-100 extraction. The isolated material had a protein composition similar to that of cell walls obtained by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Twenty-two proteins were reproducibly detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A 42-kilodalton protein was shown to account for 65% of the total cell wall protein. The majority of cell wall proteins were solubilized in sodium dodecyl sulfate at room temperature; however, they existed as high-molecular-weight complexes unless heated to 45 degrees C or above. The cell wall contained one heat-modifiable protein which migrated with an apparent molecular weight of 37,400 when solubilized at 70 degrees C or below, but which migrated with an apparent molecular weight of 52,500 if solubilized at 100 degrees C. The electrophoretic mobility of three proteins was modified by 2-mercaptoethanol. The majority of C. vinosum cell wall proteins had isoelectric points between pH 4.5 and 5.5, and the 42-kilodalton protein focused at pH 4.9. No proteins were detected which were analogous to the lipoprotein or peptidoglycan-associated proteins of the Enterobacteriaceae. Nearest-neighbor analysis with a reducible, cross-linking reagent indicated that three proteins, including the 42-kilodalton protein, associated with themselves. Most of the cell wall proteins were partially accessible to proteases in both intact cells and isolated cell walls. Protease treatment of the whole cell or isolated cell wall digested approximately an 11,000-molecular-weight portion of the 42-kilodalton protein.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1978

Immunotherapy of a guinea pig hepatoma with mycobacterial vaccines: comparison of BCG cell walls and cell wall skeletons.

BCG cell wall skeletons (SK) derived from BCG cell walls (CW) by treatment with proteolytic enzymes and organic solvents were tested for their potency to cause regression of a transplanted guinea pig hepatoma. On a weight basic, SK were as effective as CW in causing tumor regression, and they, as well as purified protein derivative of mycobacteria, provoked delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions in animals immunized with CW or with SK. On a weight basis, CW were more active than SK in eliciting delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity in sensitized guinea pigs whether the animals were immunized with CW or with SK. In unimmunized animals the inflammatory response to intradermally administered CW was greater than that evoked by SK. CW and SK provoked delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions of similar strength in animals immunized with living BCG. This study provided no compelling reasons for using SK instead of CW in clinical trials of cancer treatment by mycobacterial vaccines.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Ultrastructural localization of capsules, cell wall polysaccharide, cell wall proteins, and F antigen in pneumococci.

The localization of pneumococcal capsular and cell wall antigens was examined by immunoelectron microscopy. C polysaccharide (C-Ps), a common component of all pneumococci, was uniformly distributed on both the inside and outside of the cell walls. The thickness of the C-Ps varied with the strain. Encapsulated strains were covered by varied amounts of capsular polysaccharide concealing the C-Ps of the bacteria so as to render it inaccessible to anti-C-Ps antibodies. In addition to C-Ps, protein antigens were demonstrable on the surface of nonencapsulated pneumococci. The proteins were not masked by the C-Ps layer. An extra layer on the cell walls was conspicuous on electron micrographs of both rough and encapsulated pneumococci. The nature of this extra layer has not been disclosed. F antigen, another common antigen of pneumococci, was uniformly distributed on the surface of the plasma membranes. During the course of the experimental work a reproducible method of gold labeling immunoglobulins was developed.

Antibody Specificity↗
PubMed1997

Atomic force microscopy of plant cell walls, plant cell wall polysaccharides and gels.

Methods developed for the routine imaging of polysaccharides by atomic force microscopy (AFM) have been used to image plant polysaccharides from higher plants (pectin) and algae (carrageenan). These methods have been extended to image K-carrageenan association in hydrated films. Finally, AFM has been used to image polysaccharide architecture in moist plant cell walls. Simple experimental and image processing methods have been used to enhance molecular structure in 'rough' cell wall surfaces.

Cell Wall↗
PubMed1977

Tumor induction by agrobacterium involves attachment of the bacterium to a site on the host plant cell wall.

Cell wall preparations from primary bean leaves were found to inhibit tumor initiation by Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain B6 when inoculated with the bacteria on bean leaves. Membrane fractions from these same leaves were noninhibitory. The cell walls were effective when applied prior to or with bacteria, but application of cell walls about 15 minutes after bacteria did not affect the number of tumors initiated. Much of the inhibitory activity of the plant cell walls was eliminated by pretreatment with dead site-attaching bacteria or with lipopolysaccharide from these bacteria. Cells and lipopolysaccharide from non-site-attaching agrobacteria had no effect on the activity of the plant cell walls. About 30% inhibition of tumor initiation was obtained with plant cell walls at 50 mug/ml dry weight, and at 10 mg/ml dry weight about 70% inhibition was typical. Both early and late appearing tumors were affected by the cell walls, indicating that they do not exclusively affect tumors arising from either small or large wounds. These data show that plant cell walls but not membranes contain surfaces to which A. tumefaciens adheres and these exhibit the specificity typical of the host site to which virulent agrobacteria must attach to induce tumors. It is concluded that some portion of wound-exposed plant cell wall constitutes the host adherence site in Agrobacterium infections.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1991

Antigenicity and immunogenicity of an extract from the cell wall and cell membrane of Histoplasma capsulatum yeast cells.

In order to identify T-cell antigens from Histoplasma capsulatum yeast cells, we prepared a detergent extract of the cell wall and cell membrane of yeast-phase H. capsulatum G217B and analyzed its antigenicity and immunogenicity. Mice injected with viable H. capsulatum yeast cells or with 500 or 1,000 micrograms of the extract mounted a delayed-type hypersensitivity response to solubilized cell wall and cell membrane. Vaccination with this antigenic preparation conferred a protective immune response in mice that were challenged intravenously with H. capsulatum yeast cells. The extract induced in vitro proliferation by splenocytes from mice injected with either viable yeast cells or the soluble cell wall and cell membrane preparation. We also examined the profile of in vitro responses by a murine T-cell line and by cloned T cells to soluble cell wall and cell membrane by employing the technique of T-cell immunoblotting. Two prominent regions that stimulated the T-cell line and cloned T cells were identified. Fractions encompassing an area between 53 and 64 kDa caused proliferation by a T-cell line and five of six clones. Antigens recognized by the T-cell line and by three of six clones were contained in another area that extended from 69 to 82 kDa. The data demonstrate that this soluble extract from cell wall and cell membrane contains antigens recognized by T cells and mediates protective immunity. Moreover, T-cell immunoblotting provides a useful technique for mapping immunoreactive molecules from H. capsulatum yeast cells.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Adsorption of Zearalenone by beta-D-glucans in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall.

Cell walls of yeasts and bacteria are able to complex with mycotoxins and limit their bioavailability in the digestive tract when these yeasts and bacteria are given as feed additives to animals. To identify the component(s) of the yeast cell wall and the chemical interaction(s) involved in complex formation with zearalenone, four strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae differing in their cell wall glucan and mannan content were tested. Laboratory strains wt292, fks1, and mnn9 were compared with industrial S. cerevisiae strain sc1026. The complex-forming capacity of the yeast cell walls was determined in vitro by modelling the plots of amount of toxin bound versus amount of toxin added using Hill's model. A cooperative relationship between toxin and adsorbent was shown, and a correlation between the amount of beta-D-glucans in cell walls and complex-forming efficacy was revealed (R2 = 0.889). Cell walls of strains wt292 and mnn9, which have higher levels of beta-D-glucans, were able to complex larger amounts of zearalenone, with higher association constants and higher affinity rates than those of the fks1 and sc1026 strains. The high chitin content in strains mnn9 and fks1 increased the alkali insolubility of beta-D-glucans from isolated cell walls and decreased the flexibility of these cell walls, which restricted access of zearalenone to the chemical sites of the beta-D-glucans involved in complex formation. The strains with high chitin content thus had a lower complex-forming capacity than expected based on their beta-D-glucans content. Cooperativity and the three-dimensional structure of beta-D-glucans indicate that weak noncovalent bonds are involved in the complex-forming mechanisms associated with zearalenone. The chemical interactions between beta-D-glucans and zearalenone are therefore more of an adsorption type than a binding type.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2001

Approaches to understanding the functional architecture of the plant cell wall.

Cell wall polysaccharides are some of the most complex biopolymers known, and yet their functions remain largely mysterious. Advances in imaging methods permit direct visualisation of the molecular architecture of cell walls and the modifications that occur to polymers during growth and development. To address the structural and functional relationships of individual cell wall components, we need to better characterise a broad range of structural and architectural alterations in cell walls, appearing as a consequence of developmental regulation, environmental adaptation or genetic modification. We have developed a rapid method to screen large numbers of plants for a broad range of cell wall phenotypes using Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy and Principal Component Analysis. We are using model systems to uncover the genes that encode some of the cell-wall-related biosynthetic and hydrolytic enzymes, and structural proteins.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed1988

Immunological significance of Mycobacterium leprae cell walls.

Cell walls of Mycobacterium leprae, prepared by differential solvent extraction, were shown to contain arabinogalactan, mycolates, and peptidoglycan. In addition, amino acid analysis revealed the unexpected presence of large amounts of protein that retained potent immunological reactivity. Purified cell walls stimulated proliferation of T cells from tuberculoid, but not from lepromatous leprosy, patients and elicited delayed-type hypersensitivity skin reactions in guinea pigs and patients sensitized to M. leprae. Analysis of the precursor frequency of antigen-reactive human peripheral T cells revealed that as many cells (approximately equal to 1/6000) proliferate to antigen contained in cell walls as to intact M. leprae. Sequential removal of mycolates and arabinogalactan resulted in a large peptidoglycan-protein complex that retained all the immunological activity. This immunological reactivity and the inherent protein were destroyed by proteolysis. Thus, cell wall protein is a major contributor to cell-mediated immune reactivity to this pathogenic mycobacterium.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1985

Carbohydrate stability during ageing in Penicillium expansum cell wall.

Cell walls were obtained from Penicillium expansum mycelia of different ages. The yield of walls increased up to the 13th day of incubation and then remained almost constante. Cell walls from 13 day-old mycelia consisted of neutral sugars (65%), chitin (10%) and protein (10%). The neutral sugars released by hydrolysis of the cell wall, identified and quantified by gas-liquid chromatography were mannose (3-4%), galactose (3-4%), glucose (37%) and trace amounts of arabinose and xylose. The contents of chitin remained constant during ageing. Alkali treatment at 20 degrees C of the cell wall released and alpha-glucan amounting to about 30% leaving an insoluble residue formed by chitin and a beta-glucan containing mannose and galactose.

Cell Wall↗
PubMed1977

Preparation of arthritogenic hydrosoluble peptidoglycans from both arthritogenic and non-arthritogenic bacterial cell walls.

Cell wall lytic enzyme (Kyowa lytic no. 2 enzyme) liberated arthritogenic hydrosoluble peptidoglycans from both arthritogenic and non-arthritogenic bacterial cell walls. From these cell walls, mutanolysin (peptidoglycan-degrading enzyme) also liberated hydrosoluble peptidoglycans which, however, lacked arthritogenicity. Based on the chemical composition of these peptidoglycans, it was suggested that their arthritis-inducing ability depends on a relatively long chain of glycan units that consists of repeated units of N-acetylglucosaminyl-N-acetylmuramic acid. However, the glycan chain lengths on these peptidoglycans appeared to be related to their adjuvancy rather than to an antigen(s) responsible for development of arthritis in rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Lignification in plant cell walls.

Cell wall lignification is a complex process occurring exclusively in higher plants; its main function is to strengthen the plant vascular body. This process involves the deposition of ill-defined phenolic polymers, the so-called lignins, on the extracellular polysaccharidic matrix. These polymers arise from the oxidative coupling of three cinnamyl alcohols in a nonrandom reaction, in which cell wall polysaccharides appear to influence the freedom of cinnamyl alcohol radicals, giving rise to a highly orchestrated process. This review is focused on the most recent advances in the chemical, biochemical, cytological, physiological, and evolutive aspects of cell wall lignification. As we shall see throughout this review, there are still some open questions to be answered which may serve as the basis of future endeavors.

Cell Wall↗
PubMed2004

Synthesis of a fragment of bacterial cell wall.

Cell wall is indispensable for survival of bacteria. This large molecular "mesh" encases the entire cytoplasm of bacteria, and it is comprised of repeating backbone units of N-acetyl-glucosamine (NAG)-N-acetyl-muramic acid (NAM). A pentapeptide is attached to each of the lactyl units of the N-acetyl-muramic acid. The cell wall has both cross-linked and non-cross-linked components. In the present paper, we have devised a synthetic route for the preparation of a fragment of the cell wall comprised of a tetrasaccharide (NAG-NAM-NAG-NAM), along with the two appended peptides. We also report the syntheses of three glycosyl donors (compounds 5, 7, and 9) and three glycosyl acceptors (compounds 4, 6, and 8) based on the d-glucosamine structure as a building unit. The synthetic strategy that is disclosed is generally useful in construction of other natural products containing the d-glucosamine as a building block.

Acetylglucosamine↗