PHOSPHOLIPIDS IN VEGETATIVE CELLS AND SPORES OF BACILLUS POLYMYXA

Abstract

The same types of phospho-lipids were recovered from both vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus polymyxa 1A39. Nitrogen-containing phospholipids were identified as phosphatidyl-ethanolamine, lysophosphatidyl-ethanolamine, lysophosphatidyl-serine and lysolecithin. Acidic phosphatides containing no nitrogen were identified as phosphatidic-acid, phosphatidyl-glycerol and a fraction appearing to be bis (phosphatidic) acid. The major phosphatide fraction in both cells and spores was phosphatidyl-ethanolamine. Smaller amounts of phosphatidyl-glycerol and bis (phosphatidic) acid were present; the other acidic phospholipid com-ponents were present only in trace amounts. Heat resistance of the spore as compared to the vegetative cell could not be attributed to a specific phospholipid, since no difference in the type of phospholipids present was observed.