The chemistry of the cell walls of Bacillus anthracis: the effect of penicillin

Abstract

• 1.

  1. Cell wall mucopeptide of Bacillus anthracis, strain V₁B-189 was prepared from cells grown in the presence and absence of penicillin. Both types contain an unusual inner membrane.

• 2.

  2. These were analysed for reducing sugars, amino sugars and amino acids. Both types contained glutamic acid, alanine and diaminopimelic acid as the principle amino acids in the mole ratios of 1:1.5:1.

• 3.

  3. Penicillin did not change the relative amounts of the different cell wall constituents but it did reduce the weight of all constituents per unit weight of mucopeptide.