ISOLATION FROM E. COLE OF A URIDINE NUCLEOTIDS CONTAINING

DIAMINOPIMELIC ACID. JL. i 3.8. %
R. 5. tureun*. Dept. of Pharmscology, dasaingten Uuiv.

Sehso0l of Medicine, st. Louis.

a DAP requiring mutant of fo ocoll Coed. y given by J. Lederberg)
contalis . Bigh steady state concentration of « uridine nucleotide
whose structure bas been determined and may be represented aa
UDPAG-Lact-(L)ala-(D)glu-(meso) DAP=(D):19-(Djala. Thats compound
is the enalogue of an intermediate in c#li wall aynihesis isolated
frou 5. aureus, UDPAG~Lact-(L)ala-(D)glu-(L)lye-(Dj)ale-(D)ala.
the sequence and rotation of aming acids in the two sucleotides
hes recentiy been determined and data in support of the indicated
etructures ¥'' be presented. When the §. coli mutant is deprived
of DAP, the DAP-containing nuclectide ¢isappeers, and immediately
prior to lysia, another uridine nucleotide, UDPAG-Lact-(L)ala-(D)glu,
accumlates. Am identical compound accumulates in J. gureus |
deprived of lysine (Strominger, Threnn and Matheason, J. Phar.
ep. Ther., 122:734, 1958). These data provide evidence that
the “bagel structure” of the cell wall of B. coli ie synthesized
from internediates sinilar to those found in S. eupaus. Date
presented elsewhere (Batnenson and atra.. 2r, thease Proceedings)
provide evidence that penicil. inhibits DAP lacorporsation aad
Cell wall @yneresia ic BS. culk (: 5 eanuer analogous to inhibition
of lysine incorporation and cell wel) synthesls in |. sureus,
(supported by MIAID and Bay Grants)