Review
Nature Reviews Microbiology 6, 276-287 (April 2008) | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1861
Teichoic acids and related cell-wall glycopolymers in Gram-positive physiology and host interactions
Christopher Weidenmaier1 & Andreas Peschel1 About the authors
Abstract
Abstract | Most Gram-positive bacteria incorporate membrane- or peptidoglycan-attached carbohydrate-based polymers into their cell envelopes. Such cell-wall glycopolymers (CWGs) often have highly variable structures and have crucial roles in protecting, connecting and controlling the major envelope constituents. Further important roles of CWGs in host-cell adhesion, inflammation and immune activation have also been described in recent years. Identifying and harnessing highly conserved or species-specific structural features of CWGs offers excellent opportunities for developing new antibiotics, vaccines and diagnostics for use in the fight against severe infectious diseases, such as sepsis, pneumonia, anthrax and tuberculosis.
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Author affiliations
- Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology Section, Medical Microbiology and Hygiene Department, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Correspondence to: Andreas Peschel1 andreas.peschel@uni-tuebingen.de
Published online 10 March 2008
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