The wall teichoic acids of Lactobacillus plantarum N.I.R.D.C106. Location of the phosphodiester groups and separation of the chains.

1. The identities of the component glycerol glucosides of the wall teichoic acids of Lactobacillus plantarum N.I.R.D. C106 have been confirmed by methylation analysis. These glucosides are alpha-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->1)-l-glycerol, alpha-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->1)-l-glycerol and alpha-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-alpha-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->1)-l-glycerol. 2. These units are connected by phosphodiester groups attached to the 3(l)-hydroxyl group of glycerol and the 6-hydroxyl group of the non-reducing terminal glucose residues in the adjacent unit. 3. Concanavalin A forms a precipitate with the teichoic acid and the material so precipitated contains only the alpha-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha-d-glucopyranosyl -(1-->1)-l-glycerol component. This unit is therefore present in a homogeneous polymer so that the teichoic acid is a mixture of this and of other possibly homogeneous chains containing the other two components.