Phospholipid composition of several clinically relevant Corynebacterium species as determined by mass spectrometry: an unusual fatty acyl moiety is present in inositol-containing phospholipids of Corynebacterium urealyticum

• Published in: Microbiology (Society for General Microbiology) Vol. 149; no. 7; pp. 1675 - 1685
• Main Authors: Yague, Genoveva, Segovia, Manuel, Valero-Guillen, Pedro L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reading Soc General Microbiol 01.07.2003; Society for General Microbiology
• Subjects: Bacteriological methods and techniques used in bacteriology; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Corynebacterium - chemistry; Corynebacterium amycolatum; Corynebacterium glutamicum; Corynebacterium jeikeium; Corynebacterium urealyticum; Fatty Acids - chemistry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Microbiology; Morphology, structure, chemical composition; Phosphatidylcholines - chemistry; Phosphatidylinositols - chemistry; Phospholipids - chemistry; Species Specificity; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment; Inositol; Corynebacterium; Phospholipid; Bacteria; Actinomycetes; Corynebacteriaceae; B-Vitamins; Mass spectrometry; Comparative study
• ISSN: 1350-0872; 1465-2080
• DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.26206-0

Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain Correspondence Pedro L. Valero-Guillén plvalero{at}um.es A comparative study on phospholipids of Corynebacterium amycolatum , Corynebacterium jeikeium and Corynebacterium urealyticum was carried out using fast-atom bombardment (FAB) and electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry. Data obtained indicate the presence of acylphosphatidylglycerol (APG), diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylinositol (PI) and triacylphosphatidylinositol dimannosides (Ac 3 PIM 2 ) in these bacteria. In general, octadecenoyl and hexadecanoyl fatty acyl moieties predominated in phospholipids of C. amycolatum , whereas high levels of hexadecenoyl were found in C. jeikeium and C. urealyticum . Mass spectra from purified APG and PG indicated that the sn -1 position of the glycerol was occupied by octadecenoyl in the three species studied. Notably, several major molecular species of PI and Ac 3 PIM 2 from C. urealyticum contained significant amounts of a moiety identified as 10-methyleneoctadecanoyl, located at the sn -1 position of these molecules. On the other hand, multiantibiotic resistant and susceptible strains of C. amycolatum differed in several minor phospholipid fatty acids of 19 carbon atoms, identified as 10-methyloctadecenoic, 10-methyloctadecanoic (tuberculostearic acid) and 10-methyleneoctadecanoic. The results demonstrate an overall similarity among the phospholipids of the different species studied but also significant differences related to the acyl chains of the glycerol moiety of these compounds, notably the high levels of an unusual fatty acyl moiety in inositol-containing phospholipids of C. urealyticum . Abbreviations: Ac 3 PIM 2 , triacylphosphatidylinositol dimannosides (the molecule carries a total of three acyl groups including those of the glycerol moiety); APG, acylphosphatidylglycerol; DPG, diphosphatidylglycerol; ESI, electrospray ionization; FAB, fast atom bombardment; MAR, multiantibiotic resistant; MAS, multiantibiotic susceptible; PE, phosphatidylethanolamine; PG, phosphatidylglycerol; PI, phosphatidylinositol; PIMs, phosphatidylinositol mannosides; TBS, tuberculostearic acid (10-methyloctadecanoic acid)