BIOSYNTHESIS OF A D-GLUCOSYL POLYISOPRENYL DIPHOSPHATE IN PARTICULATE PREPARATIONS OF MICROCOCCUS LYSODEIKTICUS

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0008-6215(83)88014-8

Particulate fractions of Micrococcus lysodeikticus incubated with UDP-D-<14C>glucose incorporated radioactivity into a chloroform-methanol-soluble, low-mol. wt. compound, and into a polymer.The low-mol. wt. compound consisted of a glucolipid that was extremely labile to mild acid hydrolysis with the formation of D-<14C>glucose, and to mild alkali, yielding 14C-labeled α-D-glucopyranose 1,2-phosphate and D-glucose 2-phosphate.The labeled glucolipid was eluted from a DEAE-cellulose column at a salt concentration higher than that required by synthetic ficaprenyl (D-glucopyranosyl phosphate), and it migrated more slowly than the latter compound in t.l.c.Formation of glucolipid was stimulated by exogenous ficaprenyl phosphate, but not by C55-dolichyl phophate.These results suggest that the <14C>glucolipid has the characteristic properties of a polyisoprenyl glucosyl diphosphate.