Skip to main content
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1978 Oct;136(1):175–178. doi: 10.1128/jb.136.1.175-178.1978

Phospholipid composition of Rickettsia prowazeki grown in chicken embryo yolk sacs.

H H Winkler, E T Miller
PMCID: PMC218647  PMID: 101511

Abstract

The phospholipid composition and phospholipid fatty acid composition of purified Rickettsia prowazeki were determined. The lipid phosphorous content was 6.8 +/- 1.3 microgram/mg of total rickettsial protein. The major phospholipid was phosphatidylethanolamine (60 to 70%); phosphatidylglycerol constituted 20%, and phosphatidylcholine constituted 15%. Small amounts of phosphatidylserine and cardiolipin were detected. The principal fatty acids were 18:1, 16:1, and 16:0. The fatty acid composition of the phosphatidylcholine in the rickettsial extracts was very different than that of the other rickettsial phosphatides and very similar to that of normal yolk sac phosphatidylcholine. The specific of the phosphatidylcholine of rickettsiae grown in the presence of 32P was markedly lower than that of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. It is suggested that the phosphatidylcholine in the rickettsial extract is yolk sac derived and either tightly absorbed or exchanged into the rickettsial membrane.

Full text

PDF
178

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. Anacker R. L., Pickens E. G., Lackman D. B. Details of the ultrastructure of Rickettsia prowazekii grown in the chick yolk sac. J Bacteriol. 1967 Jul;94(1):260–262. doi: 10.1128/jb.94.1.260-262.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. 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]
  4. BOVARNICK M. R., MILLER J. C., SNYDER J. C. The influence of certain salts, amino acids, sugars, and proteins on the stability of rickettsiae. J Bacteriol. 1950 Apr;59(4):509–522. doi: 10.1128/jb.59.4.509-522.1950. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Brinton L. P., Burgdorfer W. Fine structure of Rickettsia canada in tissues of Dermacentor andersoni Stiles. J Bacteriol. 1971 Mar;105(3):1149–1159. doi: 10.1128/jb.105.3.1149-1159.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Burton P. R., Stueckemann J., Paretsky D. Electron microscopy studies of the limiting layers of the rickettsia Coxiella burneti. J Bacteriol. 1975 Apr;122(1):316–324. doi: 10.1128/jb.122.1.316-324.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dasch G. A., Weiss E. Characterization of the Madrid E strain of Rickettsia prowazekii purified by renografin density gradient centrifugation. Infect Immun. 1977 Jan;15(1):280–286. doi: 10.1128/iai.15.1.280-286.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Eisemann C. S., Osterman J. V. Proteins of typhus and spotted fever group rickettsiae. Infect Immun. 1976 Jul;14(1):155–162. doi: 10.1128/iai.14.1.155-162.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Litman B. J. Surface distribution of the fatty acid side chains of phosphatidylethanolamine in mixed phospholipid vesicles. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1975 Dec 1;413(2):157–162. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(75)90100-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. MURRAY R. G., STEED P., ELSON H. E. THE LOCATION OF THE MUCOPEPTIDE IN SECTIONS OF THE CELL WALL OF ESCHERICHIA COLI AND OTHER GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIA. Can J Microbiol. 1965 Jun;11:547–560. doi: 10.1139/m65-072. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. 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]
  13. PERKINS H. R., ALLISON A. C. Cell-wall constituents of rickettsiae and psittacosis-lymphogranuloma organisms. J Gen Microbiol. 1963 Mar;30:469–480. doi: 10.1099/00221287-30-3-469. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. PRICE W. H. The epidemiology of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. I. The characterization of strain virulence of Rickettsia rickettsii. Am J Hyg. 1953 Sep;58(2):248–268. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a119604. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Tyeryar F. J., Jr, Weiss E., Millar D. B., Bozeman F. M., Ormsbee R. A. DNA base composition of rickettsiae. Science. 1973 Apr 27;180(4084):415–417. doi: 10.1126/science.180.4084.415. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. WISSEMAN C. L., Jr, JACKSON E. B., HAHN F. E., LEY A. C., SMADEL J. E. Metabolic studies of rickettsiae. I. The effects of antimicrobial substances and enzyme inhibitors on the oxidation of glutamate by purified rickettsiae. J Immunol. 1951 Aug;67(2):123–136. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. WYATT G. R., COHEN S. S. Nucleic acids of Rickettsiae. Nature. 1952 Nov 15;170(4333):846–847. doi: 10.1038/170846a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Weiss E., Coolbaugh J. C., Williams J. C. Separation of viable Rickettsia typhi from yolk sac and L cell host components by renografin density gradient centrifugation. Appl Microbiol. 1975 Sep;30(3):456–463. doi: 10.1128/am.30.3.456-463.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. White D. A., Lennarz W. J., Schnaitman C. A. Distribution of lipids in the wall and cytoplasmic membrane subfractions of the cell envelope of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1972 Feb;109(2):686–690. doi: 10.1128/jb.109.2.686-690.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Winkler H. H. Rickettsial permeability. An ADP-ATP transport system. J Biol Chem. 1976 Jan 25;251(2):389–396. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Wood W. H., Jr, Wisseman C. L., Jr The cell wall of Rickettsia mooseri. I. Morphology and chemical composition. J Bacteriol. 1967 Mar;93(3):1113–1118. doi: 10.1128/jb.93.3.1113-1118.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES