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Review

The Cell Wall of Bacillus subtilis

by
Danae Morales Angeles
and
Dirk-Jan Scheffers
*
Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Present address: Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432, Ås, Norway.
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2021, 41(1), 539-596; https://doi.org/10.21775/cimb.041.539
Submission received: 2 July 2020 / Revised: 7 August 2020 / Accepted: 14 September 2020 / Published: 13 October 2020

Abstract

The cell wall of Bacillus subtilis is a rigid structure on the outside of the cell that forms the first barrier between the bacterium and the environment, and at the same time maintains cell shape and withstands the pressure generated by the cell's turgor. In this review, the chemical composition of peptidoglycan, teichoic and teichuronic acids, the polymers that comprise the cell wall, and the biosynthetic pathways involved in their synthesis will be discussed, as well as the architecture of the cell wall. B. subtilis has been the first bacterium for which the role of an actin-like cytoskeleton in cell shape determination and peptidoglycan synthesis was identified and for which the entire set of peptidoglycan synthesizing enzymes has been localised. The role of the cytoskeleton in shape generation and maintenance will be discussed and results from other model organisms will be compared to what is known for B. subtilis. Finally, outstanding questions in the field of cell wall synthesis will be discussed.

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MDPI and ACS Style

Angeles, D.M.; Scheffers, D.-J. The Cell Wall of Bacillus subtilis. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2021, 41, 539-596. https://doi.org/10.21775/cimb.041.539

AMA Style

Angeles DM, Scheffers D-J. The Cell Wall of Bacillus subtilis. Current Issues in Molecular Biology. 2021; 41(1):539-596. https://doi.org/10.21775/cimb.041.539

Chicago/Turabian Style

Angeles, Danae Morales, and Dirk-Jan Scheffers. 2021. "The Cell Wall of Bacillus subtilis" Current Issues in Molecular Biology 41, no. 1: 539-596. https://doi.org/10.21775/cimb.041.539

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