Biosynthesis of cell wall teichoic acid polymers

In the model, Gram-positive organism Bacillus subtilis, the vegetative cell wall is primarily made up of a thick peptidoglycan layer, proteins, and covalently associated anionic polymers. The major anionic polymer is a phosphate-rich molecule termed wall teichoic acid (WTA) that can account for more than 50% of the cell wall dry weight. This chapter focuses on recent advances in the study of the biosynthesis of the most common and studied TA …