Lecture #2 - Cell Structure & Function PART 2 Flashcards
Peptidoglycan make up…
bulk but not all cell wall structure
Species of _____ separated into two groups based on Gram stain
Bacteria
Gram +
- still has a (-) cell surface
- THICK peptidoglycan
Gram -
- has net (-) charge
- THIN peptidoglycan
Some bacteria are exceptions being neither Gram + or Gram -
Mycoplasma
Gram-positives and gram-negatives have different cell wall structure
• Gram-negative cell wall
- Two layers: LPS (lipopolysaccharide) and peptidoglycan (THIN)
• Gram-positive cell wall
- One layer: peptidoglycan (THICK)
Cytoplasmic membrane
NOT a component of the cell wall
- just the boundary that forms around cytoplasmic content
- for all living cells
Peptidoglycan
RIGID layer that provides strength to cell wall
- organism can handle itself under extreme conditions since it’s just 1 cell
Describe difference b/t human cells and bacteria cells (in terms of cell wall)
- humans have NO cell wall, just have a plasma membrane (have lots of cells)
- BUT bacteria cells are unicellular, therefore anything that happens to that 1 cell will be the end of the cell structure
- so using peptidoglycan it has this peptidoglycan so it can better handle these situations/withstand so it’s not dying easily
Polysaccharide
peptidoglycan is formed by polysaccharide which is a complex sugar structure
Polysaccharide composed of:
- N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG) and N-acetylmuramic (NAM) acid
- Amino acids
- Lysine or diaminopimelic acid (DAP)
- Cross-linked differently in gram-negative bacteria and gram-positive bacteria
- Form glycan tetrapeptide
The Polysaccharide is…
crosslinks made out of amino acids
- link top to bottom, in order to make the structure of the peptidoglycan chain nice & strong
The L & D on the polysaccharide is…
indicative of the stoichiometry
- uses a D form of an AA that we don’t see in our cell
NAG-NAM-NAG-NAM-NAG-NAM-etc.
disaccharide is the first 2 pieces
- polymerizes again & again to create a chain around the cell
- comprises peptidoglycan layer
The AA chain only comes out of the…
NAM
Crosslinks in the peptidoglycan…
makes lattice structure strong, so if you apply a horizontal force of any kind, it will to an extent be able to withstand that
What would you prefer if given the option on the arrangement of the polysaccharide?
LEFT one –> requires less GTP
- b/c attaching AA’s by peptide bonds is a massive GTP requiring process (v. expensive) & you also need all the Gly residues
- *total for right one will need 5 additional gly residues & have to form additional 5 peptide bonds (so more energy)
What does penicillin target?
the enzyme used to form the polysaccharide
If you’re taking penicillin to target an infection, what part of the cell structure will NOT be okay? Chains or crosslinks that reinforce structure?
CROSSLINKS
If you look at a micrograph of bacterium that’s trying to grow in the presence of penicillin, you literally see holes blown on the side of the bacterium. Why would this organism have holes blown on the side as a result of having this cross link inhibition that penicillin provides?
NO STRENGTH
- & water wants to move in
- when that happens, the organism will have no protection b/c the crosslinks are being inhibited
Penicillin is useful against gram + organisms NOT against gram -? Why?
- more peptidoglycan –> more crosslink
- more repercussion for that type of organism
- b/c gram - some only have 1 PD layer so penicillin is essentially useless
Describe the structure of peptidoglycan
- NAG & NAM
- N-Acetyl group - acetyl group linked with a N to C2 of the sugar (true for NAM & NAG)
- Peptide cross-links - perpendicular
- B(1,4)
- Lysozyme-sensitive bond
- Glycan tetrapeptide - 4 AA’s attached to a sugar
Lysozyme-sensitive bond
incorporate it in sweat, saliva, & tears
- destroys NAM/NAG linkages specifically b/t NAM & NAG
- when it breaks that bond, the linear chains are fragmented (disassembling the cell wall of the organism)
- in doing so it protects our eyes, skin, mouth against bacterial infection
- but has to have peptidoglycan & will have more of an impact on organisms that are gram + b/c they have thick layers of PD
More than 100 different PG/PD structures identified…
- have same core PD/PG arrangement & crosslinks provided that they have more than 1 layer but way they form this will be diff. depending on the species
Vary in peptide cross-links and/or interbridge