Structural and Functional Analyses of the Secondary Cell Wall Polymer of Bacillus sphaericus CCM 2177 That Serves as an S-Layer-Specific Anchor

Sacculi of Bacillus sphaericus CCM 2177 contain a secondary cell wall polymer which was completely extracted with 48% hydrofluoric acid. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis showed that the polymer is composed of repeating units, as follows: →3)-[4,6-O-(1-carboxyethylidene)](∼0.5)-β-d-ManpNAc-(1→4)-β-d-GlcpNAc-(1→. The N-terminal part of the S-layer protein carrying S-layer homologous motifs recognizes this polymer as a binding site.