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Pseudopeptidoglycan (also known as pseudomurein) is a major cell wall component of some archaebacteria that chemically differs from but morphologically, functionally, and structurally resembles eubacterial peptidoglycan. The basic components are N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetyltalosaminuronacid (Peptidoglycan has N-acetylmuraninacid instead) which are linked by a β-1,3-glycosidic bond. Whenever pseudopeptidoglycan is present in an organism, lysozyme is ineffective. In peptidoglycan, lysozyme can break the B-1,4-glycosidic bonds causing the peptidoglycan to become destroyed, a technique used by antibiotics. However, pseudopeptidoglycan has the B-1,3-glycosidic bond rendering lysozyme useless.
