Abstract 1809 Reconstitution of the Cytoplasmic Cell-Wall-Recycling Events of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The peptidoglycan, the major constituent of the bacterial cell wall, is a single polymeric molecule comprised of strands of alternating units of N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM), crosslinked by unique peptide stems. In the Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, peptidoglycan is embedded between the outer and inner membranes. As the bacterium grows and divides, a portion of the peptidoglycan is turned over. Degradation products of the peptidoglycan are imported into the cytoplasm for signaling in multidrug resistance mechanisms and for recycling.