The bacterial cell wall in the domain Bacteria is composed of a rigid, tight-knit molecular complex called peptidoglycan. Peptidoglycan, also known as murein, is a vast polymer consisting of interlocking chains of identical peptidoglycan monomers. It functions to prevent bacterial osmotic lysis.

In order for bacteria to divide by binary fission and increase their size following division, links in the peptidoglycan must be broken, new peptidoglycan monomers must be inserted, and the peptide cross links must be resealed.

A group of bacterial enzymes called autolysins break the glycosidic bonds between the peptidoglycan monomers at the point of growth along the existing peptidoglycan. They also break the peptide cross-bridges that link the rows of sugars together. In this way, new peptidoglycan monomers can be inserted and enable bacterial growth.

Flash animation illustration The Function of Autolysins during Peptidoglycan Synthesis.swf by Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D.
Professor of Microbiology, The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://faculty.ccbcmd.edu/~gkaiser/index.html.

Last updated: July, 2018
Please send comments and inquiries to Dr. Gary Kaiser