Attachment of lipoprotein to the murein of Escherichia coli.

The rate of incorporation of [3H]diaminopimelate into the lipoprotein attachment sites was compared to the rate of its incorporation into total acid-insoluble and dodecylsulphate-insoluble murein. In contrast to earlier findings, we could detect no significant difference in these rates of incorporation, suggesting that the lipoprotein molecules are not specifically excluded from the murein growth sites. The amount of lipoproteins bound to the murein increased when the cells entered the stationary phase of growth.