The chain length of the glycans in bacterial cell walls

Abstract

The glycan chain length of peptidoglycan was measured by reduction with NaB3H4 and isolation of the resulting muramitol, indicative of the length of the chains as biosynthesized, and glucosaminol, which measured the length of the chains after rupture by endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidases. Measurement of the non-reducing terminal N-acetylglucosamine by Smith degradation confirmed the result.