A Study of the Lipid Composition of Microbacterium thermosphactum as a Guide to its Taxonomy

Abstract

The lipid composition of Microbacterium thermosphucturn has been investigated. The major phospholipids were phosphatidylglycerol, bis-phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The glycolipid fraction contained an acylated glucose and trace amounts of a glycosyl diglyceride, tentatively identified as dimannnsyl diglyceride. The fatty acid components of the lipids were predominantly C,, and C,, branched chain isomers. The lipid composition of this organism was compared with that of other Corynebacteriaceae and Lactobacillaceae and it is suggested that the present classification should be retained.

Isoprenoid Quinone Composition as a Guide to the Classification of Listeria, Brochothrix, Erysipelothrix and Caryophanon

“…Furthermore, the closely related menaquinone profiles of B. thermosphacta, L . monocytogenes, L. grayi and L. murrayi is in accord with the affinity between these taxa as demonstrated by other studies (Wilkinson & Jones, 1977;Collins-Thompson et al, 1972;Stuart & Welshimer, 1973;Schleifer, 1970;Schleifer & Kandler, 1972;Raines et al, 1968;Shaw & Stead, 1970;Tadayon & Carroll, 1971). The menaquinone data together with the presence of predominantly straight-chain and methyl-branched fatty acids within Brochothrix and Listeria casts serious doubt on the proposal of Wilkinson & Jones (1977) to include these two genera in an extended family Lactobacillaceae.…”

Fatty Acid and Polar Lipid Composition in the Classification of Kurthia

“…On the basis of the fatty acid data kurthias can readily be distinguished from representatives of the mycolic acid-containing Cory neform taxa, Bacterionema and Corynebacterium, which have predominantly straight-chain and monounsaturated fatty acids (Blaschy & Zimmermann 1971;Bowie et al 1972;Alshamaony et al 1977;Minnikin et al 1978~). However, methyl-branched fatty acids are also found as the predominant components in Brochothrix and Listeria (Raines et al 1968;Shaw & Stead 1970;Tadayon & Carroll 1971), Cellulomonas (Minnikin et al 1979) and Arthrobacter (Walker & Fagerson 1965;Shaw & Stead 1971;Bowie et al 1972). All of the Kurthia strains possessed remarkably simple polar lipid patterns (Fig.…”

Precursors of the major end products of aerobic metabolism of Brochothrix thermosphacta

“…This appears to be a wasteful process, because it deprives the organism of essential biosynthetic precursors of not only the amino acids but also the long. branched chain fatty acids which characterize its lipids (Shaw & Stead 1970). It presumably results therefore from inefficient control mechanisms.…”