ISOMALTO-OLIGOSACCHARIDE-CONTAINING LIPOTEICHOIC ACID OF STREPTOCOCCUS-SANGUIS - MICROHETEROGENEITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF CHAIN SUBSTITUENTS

The lipoteichoic acid of Streptococcus sanguis DSM 20567 contains a po ly(glycerophosphate) chain, with 49% of the glycerophosphate residues being substituted with D-alanine ester, 35% With alpha-D-glucopyranosy l and alpha-isomalto-oligosaccharide residues. Analysis of molecular s pecies by affinity chromatography on concanavalin A showed all chains to be substituted and alanine ester and glycosyl residues to be presen t on the same rather than on separate chains. Molecular species varied in the length of the poly(glycerophosphate) chain, the extent of glyc osylation, and had a constant alanine-ester content. An alkali-hydroly sis procedure revealed a distribution pattern between random and regul ar for the glycosyl substituents and suggested a similar distribution for the alanyl residues which occupy the free positions between the gl ycosyl substituents.