Chemical Composition of the Protoplast Membrane of Bacillus megaterium

Abstract
The chemical composition of the protoplast membrane of B. megaterium NRRL B939 was studied. The protoplast membrane prepared in the presence of Mg ion accounted for 30% of the dry weight of intact cells. Its chemical composition/g membrane fraction was: protein 450-550 mg, ribonucleic-acid (RNA) 70-100 mg, deoxyribonucleic-acid (DNA) < 10 mg, lipid 40-60 mg, carbohydrate < 10 mg and poly-[beta]-hydroxybutyrate 350-500 mg. The phospholipids and neutral lipids accounted for 67 and 33% of total lipids, respectively. The dominant components in the lipid fraction were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, cardiolipin, diglyceride, monoglyceride and free fatty-acids. The chemical composition of other strains of B. megaterium was presented.