Growth-temperature-dependent alterations in the total extractable lipid and polar lipid components of two strains of Thermus sp. isolated from a Portuguese hot spring were studied between 50°C and 78°C. The total extractable lipid varied between 8·0 and 10·6% of the cell dry weight; there were no alterations in the phosphorus and carotenoid content of the lipid extract, but the carbohydrate content increased as the growth temperature was raised. Three glycolipids and the four phospholipids were separated by thin-layer chromatography. The relative concentration of the major glycolipid (GL1) of strain SPS 17 (yellow-pigmented) increased with the growth temperature, whereas the relative concentration of a minor glycolipid (GL2) decreased. There were no temperature-dependent alterations in the relative concentrations of GL1 and GL2 from strain SPS 11 (colourless). The proportion of the major phospholipid (PL2) decreased in both strains as the growth temperature increased, whereas that of a minor phospholipid (PL1) increased. The major fatty acyl chains of both strains were 13-methyltetradecanoate (iso-C15) and 15-methylhexadecanoate (iso-C17). The GL1 in strains SPS 11 and SPS 17 had a glucose:glucosamine:glycerol:long fatty acyl chain ratio of 3:1:1:3.
† Present address: Departamento de Bioquimica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad del Pais Vasco, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.
DuboisM.,
GillesK. A.,
HamiltonJ. K.,
RebersP. A.,
SmithF.1956; Colorimetric method for determination of sugars and related substances. Analytical Chemistry 28:350–356
HasegawaY.,
KawadaN.,
NosohY.1980; Change in chemical composition of the membrane of Bacillus caldotenax after shifting the growth temperature. Archives of Microbiology 126:103–108
MacleanD. C.,
ScottK. J.1976; Identification of glucitol (sorbitol) and ribitol in a rust fungus (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici). Journal of General Microbiology 97:83–89
OshimaM.1978; Structure and function of membrane lipids in thermophilic bacteria. In Biochemistry of Thermophily pp. 1–10FriedmanS. M.
Edited by New York: Academic Press;
Pask-HughesR. A.,
WilliamsR. A. D.1977; Yellow-pigmented strains of Thermus spp. from Icelandic hot springs. Journal of General Microbiology 102:375–383
RayP. H.,
WhiteD. C.,
BrockT. D.1971b; Effect of the growth temperature on the lipid composition of Thermus aquaticus. Journal of Bacteriology 108:221–235
SouzaK. A.,
KostiwL. L.,
TysonB. J.1974; Alterations in normal fatty acid composition in a temperature-sensitive mutant of a thermophilicBacillus. Archives of Microbiology 97:89–102