Skip to main content
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1985 Nov;164(2):684–688. doi: 10.1128/jb.164.2.684-688.1985

High levels of glycolipid and low levels of phospholipid in a marine caulobacter.

A J De Siervo
PMCID: PMC214306  PMID: 4055697

Abstract

Studies of the lipid composition of the marine bacterium Caulobacter halobacteroides revealed the presence of glycolipid as the predominant lipid constituent. The presence of minor amounts of phospholipid was confirmed with the incorporation of 14C- and 32P-labeled compounds. Other marine caulobacters had similar lipid compositions. Five chromatographically separable glycolipids were detected, two of which were identified as mono- and diglycosyldiglycerides. Glycolipid constituted 90 to 99% of the total extractable lipid based on 14C-acetate incorporation into six marine caulobacter strains. In addition, comparisons were made with the lipid extracts of the nonmarine Caulobacter crescentus and Micrococcus lysodeikticus, which contain substantial amounts of phospholipid. Studies of lipid composition during growth showed the maximum amount of phospholipid during early logarithmic growth (2.9%) with a decrease to 0.3% in the early stationary phase. The finding of a group of organisms in which phospholipid is not a major constituent of the lipid fraction is unique and generates many questions about the lipid requirements for membrane structure and function.

Full text

PDF
684

Selected References

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

  1. BLIGH E. G., DYER W. J. A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification. Can J Biochem Physiol. 1959 Aug;37(8):911–917. doi: 10.1139/o59-099. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. De Siervo A. J., Homola A. D. Analysis of caulobacter crescentus lipids. J Bacteriol. 1980 Sep;143(3):1215–1222. doi: 10.1128/jb.143.3.1215-1222.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. De Siervo A. J., Salton M. R. Changes in phospholipid composition of Micrococcus lysodeikticus during growth. Microbios. 1973 Jun-Aug;8(29):73–78. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Diervo A. J., Reynolds J. W. Phospholipid composition and cardiolipin synthesis in fermentative and nonfermentative marine bacteria. J Bacteriol. 1975 Jul;123(1):294–301. doi: 10.1128/jb.123.1.294-301.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Ikawa M. Bacterial phosphatides and natural relationships. Bacteriol Rev. 1967 Mar;31(1):54–64. doi: 10.1128/br.31.1.54-64.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Lechevalier M. P. Lipids in bacterial taxonomy - a taxonomist's view. CRC Crit Rev Microbiol. 1977;5(2):109–210. doi: 10.3109/10408417709102311. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Minnikin D. E., Abdolrahimzadeh H., Baddiley J. Variation of polar lipid composition of Bacillus subtilis (Marburg) with different growth conditions. FEBS Lett. 1972 Oct 15;27(1):16–18. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(72)80398-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Poindexter J. S. The caulobacters: ubiquitous unusual bacteria. Microbiol Rev. 1981 Mar;45(1):123–179. doi: 10.1128/mr.45.1.123-179.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES