A peptidoglycan monomer consists of two joined amino sugars, N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM), with a pentapeptide coming off of the NAM. In E. coli, the pentapeptide consists of the amino acids L-alanine, D-glutamic acid, meso diaminopimelic acid, and two D-alanines.

Illustration of the Peptidoglycan Monomer of Escherichia coli.jpg 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 https://cwoer.ccbcmd.edu/science/microbiology/index_gos.html.

Last updated: Feb., 2021
Please send comments and inquiries to Dr. Gary Kaiser