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The Listeria Cell Wall and Associated Carbohydrate Polymers

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Listeria monocytogenes

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1157))

Abstract

Understanding molecular interactions of bacteria with their environment requires the purification and characterization of cell wall components. Here, we describe detailed experimental methods for the extraction, purification, and analysis of wall teichoic acids (WTA), which assume important roles as major constituents of Gram-positive cell walls, such as mediating interaction with cell wall-associated proteins, eukaryotic host cells, and bacteriophages. Specifically, we present a procedure for compositional WTA characterization to study large diversity of carbohydrate substitution on Listeria monocytogenes WTA. This protocol may also be used and adapted to analyze WTA from other bacteria.

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Acknowledgements

Dr. Serge Chesnov (FGCZ, University of Zurich, Switzerland) is gratefully acknowledged for his support in WTA analysis by mass spectrometry.

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Correspondence to Martin J. Loessner .

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© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Eugster, M.R., Loessner, M.J. (2014). The Listeria Cell Wall and Associated Carbohydrate Polymers. In: Jordan, K., Fox, E., Wagner, M. (eds) Listeria monocytogenes. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1157. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0703-8_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0703-8_11

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-0702-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-0703-8

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