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J Bacteriol. 1972 February; 109(2): 652-658
Copyright © 1972 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Interaction of Concanavalin A with the Cell Wall of Bacillus subtilis¹

^a Department of Microbiology, University of Louisville, School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky 40201
^b Department of Microbiology, The Loyola University School of Dentistry, Maywood, Illinois 60153

ABSTRACT

Interactions between concanavalin A and cell wall digests of Bacillus subtilis 168 resulted in insoluble complexes as observed by double gel diffusion, turbidity, and analysis of the precipitate. The macromolecular constituent of the cell walls complexing with concanavalin A was the polyglucosylglycerol phosphate teichoic acid. The complex exhibited two pH optima: 3.1 and 7.4. The complex could be dissociated by saccharides which bind to concanavalin A. In contrast to concanavalin A-neutral polysaccharide complexes, formation of the concanavalin A-wall complex was inhibited by salts. It was subsequently shown that salts induce conformational changes in cell wall digests. The data suggested that for complex formation to occur a rigid rod conformation in the glucosylated teichoic acid is probably necessary. Concanavalin A can be used as a probe to study structural features of bacterial cell walls.

¹ This work was presented in part to the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Minneapolis, Minn., 2–6 May 1971.

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