RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Kohlrausch, UTZ A1 Wientjes, Frans B. A1 Höltje, Joachim-volkerYR 1989 T1 Determination of Murein Precursors during the Cell Cycle of Escherichia coli JF Microbiology, VO 135 IS 6 SP 1499 OP 1506 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-135-6-1499 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2080, AB A convenient and reliable method has been established that allows a quantitative determination of m-diamino[3H]pimelic acid-labelled murein precursors in 1 ml culture samples of Escherichia coli. Prior to separation by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography the lipid-linked intermediates were hydrolysed to release the muropeptides. The accuracy for the measurement of UDP-N-acetylmuramylpentapeptide (UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide) was ± 1·9% (sd), for undecaprenyl-P-P-MurNAc-pentapeptide (lipid I) ± 10% (sd) and for undecaprenyl-P-P-(GlcNAc-β1→4)MurNAc-pentapeptide (lipid II) ± 5% (sd). The ratio of UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide:lipid I:lipid II was about 300:1:3 for E. coli MC4100. The relative cellular concentrations of all three precursor molecules were found not to vary throughout the cell cycle. It is concluded that elongation and division of the murein sacculus is not controlled by oscillations in the concentrations of these late murein precursors., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-135-6-1499