Wall teichoic acid (WTA) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) are anionic polymers found in the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria and are responsible for cell division machinery localization, host infection, β-lactam resistance, and cell morphology. Branched polyethylenimine (BPEI), a cationic polymer, altered cell morphology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Bacillus subtilis, as seen with phase contrast microscopy and electron microscopy. We found that BPEI made MRSA susceptible to β-lactam antibiotics. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data showed that BPEI electrostatically binds to WTA. Autolysis rate measurements showed that MRSA grown in BPEI have a reduced autolytic rate likely due to the inability to release LTA. Mutants without WTA or LTA exhibit slow growth rates and dramatic changes in size and shape. BPEI provides an in situ means of disabling WTA and LTA function to provide a direct route to investigate essential bacterial cell growth processes.

Branched polyethylenimine disables teichoic acid function leading to altered morphologies of Gram-positive bacteria

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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