Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, The University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, The University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
Trends Microbiol. 2019 Jul;27(7):607-622. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2019.01.009. Epub 2019 Mar 2.
Peptidoglycan (PG) is a ubiquitous structural polysaccharide of the bacterial cell wall, essential in preserving cell integrity by withstanding turgor pressure. Any change that affects its biosynthesis or degradation will disturb cell viability, therefore PG is one of the main targets of antimicrobial drugs. Considering its major role in cell structure and integrity, the study of PG is of utmost relevance, with prospective ramifications to several disciplines such as microbiology, pharmacology, agriculture, and pathogenesis. Traditionally, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been the workhorse of PG analysis. In recent years, technological and bioinformatic developments have upgraded this seminal technique, making analysis more sensitive and efficient than ever before. Here we describe a set of analytical tools for the study of PG structure (from composition to 3D architecture), identify the most recent trends, and discuss future challenges in the field.
肽聚糖（PG）是细菌细胞壁中普遍存在的结构多糖，通过抵抗膨压来维持细胞完整性，对于其生物合成或降解的任何改变都会干扰细胞活力，因此 PG 是抗菌药物的主要靶点之一。鉴于其在细胞结构和完整性中的主要作用，PG 的研究具有极其重要的意义，对微生物学、药理学、农业和发病机制等多个学科具有潜在的影响。传统上，高效液相色谱（HPLC）一直是 PG 分析的主力。近年来，技术和生物信息学的发展使这项开创性技术得到了升级，使分析比以往任何时候都更加敏感和高效。在这里，我们描述了一组用于研究 PG 结构的分析工具（从组成到 3D 结构），确定了该领域的最新趋势，并讨论了未来的挑战。
