Control of teichoic and teichuronic acid biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis 168trp. Evidence for repression of enzyme synthesis and inhibition of enzyme activity.

Phosphate starvation induced teichuronic acid synthesis in cells of Bacillus subtilis 168trp-which had previously been grown with excess phosphate. This induction was prevented when protein systhesis was inhibited immediately prior to phosphate starvation and under these conditions cells continued to form teichoic acid. The converse was true when phosphate was added to cells previously grown in a phosphate-limited chemostat. The increase in teichoic acid synthesis normally following phosphate addition was prevented by chloramphenicol or amino acid starvation and cells continued to make teichuronic acid. This suggestion that repression of enzyme synthesis is involved in controlling the type of wall polymer made was supported by the low levels of UDP-glucose dehydrogenase found in cells grown with excess phosphate and of CDP-glycerol pyrophosphorylase in phosphate-limited cells. The greater amounts of teichoic acid made under phosphate limitation and of teichuronic acid with excess phosphate when protein synthesis was also inhibited indicated that modulation of enzyme activity occurs. Glycerol starvation of a glycerol-requiring mutant did not derepress teichuronic acid synthesis, indicating that glycerol-containing imtermediates do not act as repressors.