@article{mbs:/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-89-2-277, author = "Hurst, A. and Hughes, A. and Duckworth, M. and Baddiley, J.", title = "Loss of d-Alanine during Sublethal Heating of Staphylococcus aureus s6 and Magnesium Binding during Repair", journal= "Microbiology", year = "1975", volume = "89", number = "2", pages = "277-284", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-89-2-277", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-89-2-277", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1465-2080", type = "Journal Article", abstract = "SUMMARY: Staphylococcus aureus s6 sublethally heated at 52°C for 15 min in 0·1 m-potassium phosphate buffer pH 7·2, lost neither the ribitol teichoic acid of the wall nor the glycerol teichoic acid of the membrane. Hurst et al. (1974) showed that this heating caused 40% loss of the cellular Mg, and we now report the loss of 65% of the ester-bound d-alanine of teichoic acid. Repair from sublethal heat injury, measured by the return of salt tolerance, occurs in a simple no-growth medium provided that the cell concentration is < 5 × 108/ml. During repair, d-alanine is rapidly synthesized. Fully-repaired cells contain four times more D-alanine than do freshly-injured cells. Magnesium is present in the medium at only 3 × 10−6 m, yet the cellular Mg concentration returns to normal within 1 h of incubation, even in the presence of EDTA. The results suggest that repair occurs in two stages. Soon after injury, in the absence of the competitive effect of d-alanine, Mg is strongly bound to teichoic acid. In repaired or uninjured cells Mg is less strongly bound. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the cation-binding function of teichoic acid.", }