In vivo study of the state of order of the membranes of gram-negative bacteria by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR).
Temperature-induced order/disorder transition profiles were obtained from the membranes of intact Gram-negative bacterial cells by FT-IR analysis of the frequency shifts of the acyl chain methylene symmetric stretching band as a monitor. Cells grown at different temperatures yielded distinct transition profiles. At the individual growth temperatures, however, the nearly alike frequency values indicated a very similar 'state of order' of the bacterial membranes. The FT-IR data were complemented by GC analysis of whole cell fatty acid composition. The FT-IR data obtained in vivo gave direct evidence of the adaptation of the 'state of order' and 'fluidity' of bacterial membranes to varying growth temperatures.
Schultz
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C
Department of Cytology, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Naumann
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D
D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology*; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000502:physiology*; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared / Q000379:methods; D013816:Thermodynamics
D008563:Membrane Lipids