Peptidoglycan
Peptidoglycan
Peptidoglycan (pronounced: pep-ti-do-gly-can), also known as murein, is a polymer consisting of sugars and amino acids that forms a mesh-like layer outside the plasma membrane of most bacteria, forming the cell wall. The sugar component consists of alternating residues of beta-(1,4) linked N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylmuramic acid. Attached to the N-acetylmuramic acid is a peptide chain of three to five amino acids. The peptide chain can be cross-linked to the peptide chain of another strand forming the 3D mesh-like layer.
Etymology
The term "peptidoglycan" originates from the Greek words peptos, meaning "cooked" or "digested", and glykys, meaning "sweet". This refers to the fact that peptidoglycan is a large molecule made up of individual sugar and amino acid units that are linked together in a complex structure.
Related Terms
- Cell Wall: The rigid layer of polysaccharides lying outside the plasma membrane of the cells of plants, fungi, and bacteria. In the algae and higher plants, it consists mainly of cellulose.
- N-acetylglucosamine: A monosaccharide derivative of glucose. It is an important component of many polysaccharides, including those found in mucus and mucilage.
- N-acetylmuramic acid: A derivative of N-acetylglucosamine that is found in bacterial cell walls.
- Beta-(1,4) linked: A type of glycosidic bond found in the structure of peptidoglycan.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Peptidoglycan
- Wikipedia's article - Peptidoglycan
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski