Fatty Acids in the GenusBacillusI. Iso- and Anteiso-Fatty Acids as Characteristic Constituents of Lipids in 10 Species

Abstract

Fatty-acids produced by 22 strains of 10 species of the genus Bacillus were analyzed on a very efficient and selective gas-liquid chromatographic column. All of the ten species, B. alvei, B. brevis, B. cereus, B. circulans, B. licheniformis, B. macerans, B. megaterium, B. polymyxa, B. pumilus, and B. subtilis, produced eight fatty-acids, six branched (anteiso-C15, anteiso-C17 iso-C14, iso-C15, iso-C16, and iso-C17) and two normal (n-C14 and n-C16). In all cases, the six branched-chain fatty-acids made up over 60% of the total fatty-acids. In addition to the eight fatty-acids, B. cereus produced four extra fatty-acids, three branched (anteiso-C13 iso-C12, and iso-C13) and one monoenoic-n-C16. Furthermore, there were distinct differences in the relative amounts of fatty-acids produced between B. cereus and the remaining nine species. B. cereus produced iso-C15 fatty-acid in the largest amount on a glucose-yeast extract medium as well as on Pennassay Broth. On the other hand, for the remaining nine species, anteiso-C15 fatty-acid was the major fatty-acid from the glucose-yeast extract medium, whereas the amount of iso-C15 fatty-acid from Penassay Broth became comparable to that of anteiso-C15 fatty-acid. Mechanisms and various factors affecting the fatty-acid distribution pattern in the 10 Bacillus species are discussed.