Anionic carbohydrate-containing polymers of cell walls in two streptoverticille genospecies

The cell walls of two streptoverticille genospecies which belong to a histo rically isolated group of the genus Streptomyces contain anionic polymers o f different structure. Streptomyces hachijoensis VKM Ac191(T) and Streptomy ces cinnamoneus subsp, azacoluta VKM Ac-606(T) assigned to one genospecies on the basis of DNA-DNA hybridization [5] contain 37% of an identical sugar -1-phosphate polymer. The repeating disaccharide units of the polymer, 2-am ino-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-alpha-D-gluc opyranose, are linked at C-1 and C-6' by phosphodiester bonds. The cell wal ls of Streptomyces biverticillatus VKM Ac-891(T) and Streptomyces baldaccii VKM Ac-821(T), members of another genospecies, contain about 30% 1,3-poly( glycerol phosphate) completely substituted by 2-amino-2-deoxy-alpha-D-gluco pyranosyl residues at C-2. Due to the presence of an amino sugar with a fre e amino group in the repeating unit, the polymers exhibit neutral propertie s. Polymer structures were determined by chemical methods and NMR spectrosc opy. The data indicate taxonomic specificity of anionic polymers in strepto verticille cell walls.