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Culture Documents
-lactam
antibiotics
inhibit
transpeptidases
enzymes that
form these
crosslinkages
Glycopeptides
bind D-alanine
and prevent
crosslinkage
The Gram positive cell wall is characterized by the presence of a very thick peptidoglycan layer,
the Gram negative cell wall contains a thin peptidoglycan layer
Peptidoglycan layer in the bacterial cell wall is formed from linear chains of two alternating amino
sugars, namely N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc or NAG) and N-acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc or
The biosynthesis of cell wall peptidoglycan, showing the sites of action of five antibiotics
(shaded bars; 1 = fosfomycin, 2 = cycloserine, 3 = bacitracin, 4 = vancomycin, 5 =
-lactam antibiotics). Bactoprenol (BP) is the lipid membrane carrier that transports
building blocks across the cytoplasmic membrane; M, N-acetylmuramic acid; Glc,
glucose; NAcGlc or G, N-acetylglucosamine.
Glycopeptides
bind D-alanine
and prevent
crosslinkage
-lactam
antibiotics
inhibit
transpeptidases
enzymes that
form these
crosslinkages