Time course of accumulation of UDP-N-acetylamino sugar derivatives in Staphylococcus aureus

Under incubation conditions including deprivation of nitrogen sources, deprivation of lysine, inhibition by oxamycin and inhibition by penicillin, the accumulation of UDP-N-acetylamino sugar derivatives in Staphylococcus aureus cells, with time, has been studied. UDP-N-acetylglucosamine and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-3-O-lactic ether accumulated in cells which were incubated in amino acid-free medium. During the initial phase of incubation there was a rapid rise in the appearance of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine followed later by a decrease of this nucleotide; concomitant accumulation of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-3-O-lactic ether and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-3-O-lactyl-peptides was observed under every condition which induced UDP-N-acetylglycosamine-3-O-lactyl-peptide accumulation. The relationship of the observed accumulation to the pathway of cell-wall mucopeptide synthesis is discussed.