Skip to main content
PMC home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1977 May;33(5):1233–1236. doi: 10.1128/aem.33.5.1233-1236.1977

Changes in lipid composition of Escherichia coli resulting from growth with organic solvents and with food additives.

L O Ingram
PMCID: PMC170858  PMID: 327934

Abstract

Cells of Escherichia coli contain an altered fatty acid and phospholipid composition when grown in the presence of sublethal concentrations of a variety of organic solvents and food additives. The diversity of compounds examined which caused these changes indicates that no single catabolic pathway is involved. Many of the observed changes are consistent with the hypothesis that cells adapt their membrane lipids to compensate for the presence of these compounds in the environment. Both sodium benzoate and calcium propionate caused the synthesis of unusual fatty acids.

Full text

PDF
1233

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ames G. F. Lipids of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli: structure and metabolism. J Bacteriol. 1968 Mar;95(3):833–843. doi: 10.1128/jb.95.3.833-843.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barbu E., Polonovski J., Rampini C., Lux M. Modifications de la constitution en phospholipides des cellules d'E. coli cultivées en présence de phenyléthanol. C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D. 1970 May 25;270(21):2596–2599. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bloch K. Fatty acid synthases from Mycobacterium phlei. Methods Enzymol. 1975;35:84–90. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(75)35141-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cronan J. E., Jr, Gelmann E. P. Physical properties of membrane lipids: biological relevance and regulation. Bacteriol Rev. 1975 Sep;39(3):232–256. doi: 10.1128/br.39.3.232-256.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cronan J. E., Jr Phospholipid alterations during growth of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1968 Jun;95(6):2054–2061. doi: 10.1128/jb.95.6.2054-2061.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cronan J. E., Jr Thermal regulation of the membrane lipid composition of Escherichia coli. Evidence for the direct control of fatty acid synthesis. J Biol Chem. 1975 Sep 10;250(17):7074–7077. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cronan J. E., Vagelos P. R. Metabolism and function of the membrane phospholipids of Escherichia coli. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1972 Feb 14;265(1):25–60. doi: 10.1016/0304-4157(72)90018-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. De Siervo A. J. Alterations in the phospholipid composition of Escherichia coli B during growth at different temperatures. J Bacteriol. 1969 Dec;100(3):1342–1349. doi: 10.1128/jb.100.3.1342-1349.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Freese E., Sheu C. W., Galliers E. Function of lipophilic acids as antimicrobial food additives. Nature. 1973 Feb 2;241(5388):321–325. doi: 10.1038/241321a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Fulco A. J. Metabolic alterations of fatty acids. Annu Rev Biochem. 1974;43(0):215–241. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.43.070174.001243. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Ginsburg E., Salomon D., Sreevalsan T., Freese E. Growth inhibition and morphological changes caused by lipophilic acids in mammalian cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1973 Aug;70(8):2457–2461. doi: 10.1073/pnas.70.8.2457. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Grisham C. M., Barnett R. E. The effects of long-chain alcohols on membrane lipids and the (Na++K+)-ATPase. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1973 Jul 6;311(3):417–422. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(73)90322-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hui F. K., Barton P. G. Mesomorphic behaviour of some phospholipids with aliphatic alcohols and other non-ionic substances. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1973 Mar 8;296(3):510–517. doi: 10.1016/0005-2760(73)90111-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ingram L. O. Adaptation of membrane lipids to alcohols. J Bacteriol. 1976 Feb;125(2):670–678. doi: 10.1128/jb.125.2.670-678.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Khuller G. K., Goldfine H. Phospholipids of Clostridium butyricum. V. Effects of growth temperature on fatty acid, alk-1-enyl ether group, and phospholipid composition. J Lipid Res. 1974 Sep;15(5):500–507. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kito M., Aibara S., Kato M., Hata T. Differences in fatty acid composition among phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin of Escherichia coli. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1972 Mar 23;260(3):475–478. doi: 10.1016/0005-2760(72)90062-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Marr A. G., Ingraham J. L. EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON THE COMPOSITION OF FATTY ACIDS IN ESCHERICHIA COLI. J Bacteriol. 1962 Dec;84(6):1260–1267. doi: 10.1128/jb.84.6.1260-1267.1962. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Nunn W. D., Tropp B. E. Effects of phenethyl alcohol on phospholipid metabolism in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1972 Jan;109(1):162–168. doi: 10.1128/jb.109.1.162-168.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Papahadjopoulos D., Hui S., Vail W. J., Poste G. Studies on membrane fusion. I. Interactions of pure phospholipid membranes and the effect of myristic acid, lysolecithin, proteins and dimethylsulfoxide. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1976 Oct 5;448(2):254–264. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Paterson S. J., Butler K. W., Huang P., Labelle J., Smith I. C., Schneider H. The effects of alcohols on lipid bilayers: a spin label study. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1972 Jun 20;266(3):597–602. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(72)90003-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Roth S., Seeman P. The membrane concentrations of neutral and positive anesthetics (alcohols, chlorpromazine, morphine) fit the Meyer-Overton rule of anesthesia; negative narcotics do not. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1972 Jan 17;255(1):207–219. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(72)90023-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Seeman P. The membrane actions of anesthetics and tranquilizers. Pharmacol Rev. 1972 Dec;24(4):583–655. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sinensky M. Homeoviscous adaptation--a homeostatic process that regulates the viscosity of membrane lipids in Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974 Feb;71(2):522–525. doi: 10.1073/pnas.71.2.522. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Sinensky M. Temperature control of phospholipid biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1971 May;106(2):449–455. doi: 10.1128/jb.106.2.449-455.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Smith S., Abraham S. Fatty acid synthase from lactating rat mammary gland. Methods Enzymol. 1975;35:65–74. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(75)35139-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES