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REVIEW: Teichuronic and Teichulosonic Acids of Actinomycetes*


E. M. Tul’skaya1**, A. S. Shashkov2, G. M. Streshinskaya1, S. N. Senchenkova2, N. V. Potekhina1, Yu. I. Kozlova1, and L. I. Evtushenko3

1Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; fax: (495) 939-4309; E-mail: em_tulskaya@mail.ru

2Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 47, 119991 Moscow, Russia; fax: (499) 135-5328

3All-Russian Collection of Microorganisms (VKM), Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, pr. Nauki 5, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia; fax: (495) 956-3370

* This review is based on a presentation made at the 4th Baltic Conference on Microbial Carbohydrates, Hyytiala Forestry Field Station, Finland, September 19-22, 2010.

** To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received January 25, 2011; Revision received February 10, 2011
The subject of the present review is the structural diversity and abundance of cell wall teichuronic and teichulosonic acids of representatives of the order Actinomycetales. Recently found teichulosonic acids are a new class of natural glycopolymers with ald-2-ulosonic acid residues: Kdn (3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-non-2-ulosonic acid) or di-N-acyl derivatives of Pse (5,7-diamino-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-L-glycero-L-manno-non-2-ulosonic or pseudaminic acid) as the obligatory component. The structures of teichuronic and teichulosonic acids are presented. Data are summarized on the occurrence of the glycopolymers of different nature in the cell wall of the studied actinomycetes. The biological role of the glycopolymers and their possible taxonomic implication are discussed. The comprehensive tables given in the Supplement show 13C NMR spectroscopic data of teichuronic and teichulosonic acids obtained by the authors.
KEY WORDS: cell wall, actinomycetes, teichuronic acid, teichulosonic acid, NMR spectroscopy

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297911070030