Peptidoglycan synthesis during sporulation in Bacillus sphaericus. The rate of synthesis of vegetative peptidoglycan during sporulation will be studied using lysine label in a lysine auxotroph. This will be correlated with the synthesis of sporulation septa, terminal swelling and primordial cell wall. The structure of the cortex peptidoglycan will be studied in detail, as will the structure of the primordial cell wall. S. aureus TOF mutants: The rate of synthesis of peptidoglycan and teichoic acid under permissive and non-permissive conditions will be studied and correlated with susceptibility to antibiotics which inhibit peptidoglycan synthesis. B. subtilis spore coat synthesis: The structure and biosynthesis of B. subtilis spore coats will be studied using antisera to purified coat fractions to assay for soluble precursors. Peptide mapping will be used to identify precursors of different coat proteins. Peptidoglycan synthesis during cell division in E. coli. Peptidoglycan synthesis in nascent minicells and during rapid cell division following stepdown in a ts division mutant will be studied. Bibliographic references: Linnett, P.E. and Tipper, D.J. (1974). Cell wall polymers of B. sphaericus 9602. III. Activities of enzymes involved in peptidoglycan precursor synthesis during sporulation. J. Bacteriol. 120:342-354. Holt, S.C., Gauthier, J.J. and Tipper, D.J. (1975). Ultrastructural studies of sporulation in Bacillus sphaericus. J. Bacteriol. 122:1322-1338.