Oxidative deamination of the epsilon-amino group of lysyl residues to form allysine is the initial reaction in the cross-linking of collagen and elastin in vertebrates. The allysyl residues, generated by lysyl oxidase in this reaction, condense with either other allysyl residues or epsilon-amino groups of lysyl or hydroxylysyl to form aldol or Schiff base cross-links. This paper presents evidence that similar allysyl residues and Schiff base cross-links are synthesized in cell envelopes of Escherichia coli. Acid hydrolysis followed by amino acid analysis of envelopes either reduced with NaB[3H]4 or labeled with [14C]lysine and reduced with NaBH4 yielded allysine and two labeled fragments with elution profiles and molecular weights (250 and 330) consistent with Schiff base products derived at least in part from allysine. When [6-3H]lysine-labeled cell envelopes were incubated at 37 degrees C, gradual release of tritiated water occurred. This suggests that an enzymatic reaction catalyzes the deamination of lysine in E. coli membranes and that the higher molecular weight proteins detected in stationary phase or in log phase cell envelopes after NaBH4 reduction occur as a result of formation of Schiff base cross-links.