The TagB Protein in Bacillus subtilis 168 Is an Intracellular Peripheral Membrane Protein That Can Incorporate Glycerol Phosphate onto a Membrane-bound Acceptor in Vitro *

Genes involved in the synthesis of poly(glycerol phosphate) wall teichoic acid have been identified in the tag locus of the model Gram-positive organism Bacillus subtilis 168. The functions of most of these gene products are predictable from sequence similarity to characterized proteins and have provided limited insight into the intracellular synthesis and translocation of wall teichoic acid. Nevertheless, critical steps of poly(glycerol …