Cell wall metabolism in Bacillus subtilis subsp. niger: effects of changes in phosphate supply to the culture.

Chemostat cultures of Bacillus subtilis subsp. niger WM were exposed to changes in the availability of phosphorus by means of a resuspension technique. Responses in wall metabolism were recorded by measuring the amounts of peptidoglycan and anionic polymers (teichoic or teichuronic acid) in the wall and extracellular fluid fractions. With respect to the wall composition, the effect of a change in orthophosphate supply was a complete shift in the nature of the anionic polymer fraction, the polymer originally present in the walls ("old" polymer) being replaced by the alternative ("new") anionic polymer. The peptidoglycan content of the walls remained constant. It was concluded that the incorporation of old polymer was completely blocked from the moment the orthophosphate supply was changed. However, from a measurement of the total amount of polymer in the whole culture during the course of the experiments, it was evident that synthesis of old polymer continued, but it was secreted. Synthesis of the new polymer started immediately, and it was incorporated exclusively into the wall. During adaption of the cells to the new environment, wall turnover continued in an identical fashion to that extant in steady-state cultures. It was concluded that the primary adaptive response to a change in orthophosphate supply occurred through a mechanism interacting with polymer incorporation and thus at the level of wall assembly at the membrane.