Presence and synthesis of cholesterol in stable staphylococcal L-forms.
The sterol which was present in two strains of a stable staphylococcal L-form was analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography and combined gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The retention time of the sterol on gas-liquid chromatography was the same as that of authentic cholesterol. Analysis of the sterol by mass spectrometry showed a molecular ion at an m/e of 386 and the same patterns of major ions above an m/e of 145 as those of authentic cholesterol. As a result, the sterol in staphylococcal L-form was identified as cholesterol. A parent strain and its L-forms were cultured in medium containing [14C]acetate, and the synthesis of cholesterol was examined. In the L-forms, 0.52% of the total lipid radioactivity was found in cholesterol fraction, whereas no significant radioactivity was detected in the cholesterol fraction of the parent strain, indicating that staphylococcal L-forms have acquired the capacity to synthesize cholesterol.
D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D007740:L Forms / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
D002784:Cholesterol