What is the difference between Teichoic acid and Lipoteichoic acid?

Question

Just noticed something- Teichoic Acid is responsible for the (-) charge of the cell wall of __ (bacteria, virus, etc -- Does this apply to non-pathogenic organisms?), and Lipoteichoic Acid assists with the maintenance of cation homeostasis....??

Answer 1

"The most common types of TAs are comprised of either polyglycerol phosphate or polyribitol phosphate chains of variable length that are substituted with glycosyl residues or d-alanyl esters, or both. TAs may be covalently linked to peptidoglycan (wall teichoic acids [WTAs]) or anchored in the cytoplasmic membrane by their glycolipid moiety (lipoteichoic acids [LTAs])."

So I guess Lipoteichoic Acids are just Teichoic Acids in the cytoplasmic membrane.

Taken from "A Functional dlt Operon, Encoding Proteins Required for Incorporation of d-Alanine in Teichoic Acids in Gram-Positive Bacteria, Confers Resistance to Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides in Streptococcus pneumoniae" - Googled it.

Picture of Cell Membrane:

http://www.bio.davidson.edu/Courses/Molb...

Answer 2

These acids can be found in the cell wall of gram-positive bacteria, such as Staphylococci, Streptococci, Bacillus, Clostridium, Corynebacterium and Listeria, and appear to extend to the surface of the peptidoglycan layer. Teichoic acids are not found in the gram-negative bacteria.

They provide structural support for the cell wall and act as antigen. Teichoic acids also assist in regulation of cell growth

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is a surface-associated adhesion amphiphile from Gram-positive bacteria and regulator of autolytic wall enzymes (muramidases). It is released from the bacterial cells mainly after bacteriolysis induced by lysozyme, cationic peptides from leucocytes, or beta-lactam antibiotics.

Lipoteichoic acidhas induced arthritis, nephritis, uveitis, encephalomyelitis, meningeal inflammation, and periodontal lesions, and also triggered cascades resulting in septic shock and multiorgan failure.