What is peptidoglycan?

Question

What is peptidoglycan? Which kind of bacteria has peptidoglycan and what function does this adaptation
serve?

Answer 1

Peptido glycan is a molecule with a Peptide (ie protein) bit and a Glycan (ie sugary) bit.

See the wikipedia

Most bacteria will have a peptidoglycan layer. Those that do not would be thought of as atypical organisms.

It forms an outside layer of bacterial cell membranes in gram positive bacteria (streptococci, staphylococci, etc). In gram negative bacteria there is an additional outer cell wall which prevents them from taking up the gram stain.

It protects the cell membrane from the environment and counteracts the osmotic pressure of the internal bacterial cytoplasm. In species with a cell wall, it helps with cell wall rigidity and structure/shape.

Answer 2

Peptidoglycan, also known as murein, is a polymer consisting of sugars and amino acids that forms a homogeneous layer outside the plasma membrane of eubacteria. Some Archaea have a similar layer of pseudopeptidoglycan. Peptidoglycan serves a structural role in the bacterial cell wall, giving the wall shape and structural strength, as well as counteracting the osmotic pressure of the cytoplasm. Peptidoglycan is also involved in binary fission during bacterial cell reproduction.

Answer 3

Peptidoglycans form the cell walls of bacteria. They are composed of glycans (sugar chains) crosslinked by peptides (short chains of amino acids).

Answer 4

What Is Peptidoglycan

Answer 5

A polymer found in the cell walls of prokaryotes that consists of polysaccharide and peptide chains in a strong molecular network.

polymer that is composed of polysaccharide and peptide chains and is found especially in bacterial cell walls -- called also mucopeptide, murein