Bacterial Phosphoglycolipids and Lipoteichoic Acids

Glycoglycerolipid, phosphoglycolipids, and lipoteichoic acids are characteristic constituents of the cytoplasmic membrane of a large number of gram-positive bacteria.

Abstract

Glycoglycerolipids, phosphoglycolipids, and lipoteichoic acids are characteristic constituents of the cytoplasmic membrane of a large number of gram-positive bacteria (Fischer, 1981; Ishizuka and Yamakawa, 1985). These lipid amphiphiles are structurally and biosynthetically related to each other. Glycolipids are the lipid moiety in phosphoglycolipids and lipoteichoic acids. Phosphoglycolipids carry a glycerophosphate, a di(glycerophosphate) or a phosphatidyl residue; the common types of lipoteichoic acid carry a 1,3-phosphodiester-linked poly(glycerophosphate) chain. By contrast, glycophospholipids are derived from phospholipids containing phosphatidylglycerol, cardiolipin, or phosphatidylinositol to which monosaccharides or oligosaccharides are glycosidically linked (for a review, see Ishizuka and Yamakawa, 1985).