Cited by 410Probiotics and Fermented FoodsBacterial Genetics and BiotechnologyBiochemical and Structural Characterization

Cell Wall Structure and Function in Lactic Acid Bacteria

Open access
Chapot-Chartier, Marie-Pierre, Kulakauskas, Saulius·2014·Microbial Cell Factories

Abstract

The cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria is a complex assemblage of glycopolymers and proteins. It consists of a thick peptidoglycan sacculus that surrounds the cytoplasmic membrane and that is decorated with teichoic acids, polysaccharides, and proteins. It plays a major role in bacterial physiology since it maintains cell shape and integrity during growth and division; in addition, it acts as the interface between the bacterium and its environment. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are traditionally and widely used to ferment food, and they are also the subject of more and more research because of their potential health-related benefits. It is now recognized that understanding the composition, structure, and properties of LAB cell walls is a crucial part of developing technological and health applications using these bacteria. In this review, we examine the different components of the Gram-positive cell wall: peptidoglycan, teichoic acids, polysaccharides, and proteins. We present recent findings regarding the structure and function of these complex compounds, results that have emerged thanks to the tandem development of structural analysis and whole genome sequencing. Although general structures and biosynthesis pathways are conserved among Gram-positive bacteria, studies have revealed that LAB cell walls demonstrate unique properties; these studies have yielded some notable, fundamental, and novel findings. Given the potential of this research to contribute to future applied strategies, in our discussion of the role played by cell wall components in LAB physiology, we pay special attention to the mechanisms controlling bacterial autolysis, bacterial sensitivity to bacteriophages and the mechanisms underlying interactions between probiotic bacteria and their hosts.

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Crossref · 10.1186/1475-2859-13-s1-s9

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  • α-Glucans and β-fructans are produced through glucansucrases and fructansucrase, respectively.

    “α-Glucans and β-fructans are then produced through glucansucrases and fructansucrase, respectively.”

    From Lactic Acid Bacteria Exopolysaccharides Producers: A Sustainable Tool for Functional Foods (2021) · cites this paper as [14]

    The Wall polysaccharides > Structure and biosynthesis section discusses lactic acid bacterial polysaccharides and their biosynthesis, but does not link α-glucans to glucansucrases or β-fructans to fructansucrase. Searches for those enzyme names and both polymer names found no passage addressing the claimed pairings. (LLM, conf=0.76)

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Chapot-Chartier M-P König H, Claus, H., and Varna, A Bacterial autolysins Prokaryotic Cell Wall Compounds 2010 Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany.: Springer Verlag 383 406
  2. Schneewind O Missiakas D Sec-secretion and sortase-mediated anchoring of proteins in Gram-positive bacteria Biochim Biophys Acta 2014 184 1687 1697 24269844 PMC4031296

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Authors
Chapot-Chartier, M.-P., & Kulakauskas, S.
Affiliations
AgroParisTech (FR)
Venue
Microbial Cell Factories
Published
2014
Volume
13
Issue
Suppl 1
Pages
S9
ISSN
1475-2859 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2130696295
Cited by
410
References
189
Citations by year
2026: 42 · 2025: 40 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 44 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 49 · 2020: 61 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 25 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 3
Type
conference abstract
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Microbial Cell Factories (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-11-BSV8-0004, ANR-11-BSV8-004-01)
  • Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Biochemical and Structural Characterization
Keywords
lactic acid bacteria, bacterial cell wall, peptidoglycan, teichoic acid, cell wall polysaccharides, cell wall proteins, cell wall biosynthesis, bacterial autolysis, bacteriophage sensitivity, Gram-positive bacteria, food fermentation
MeSH terms
Acetylation, Bacterial Proteins, Cell Wall, Lactobacillaceae, Lipopolysaccharides, Peptidoglycan, Polysaccharides, Bacterial, Teichoic Acids, Host-Pathogen Interactions

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