title: Microbial assimilation of hydrocarbons: phospholipid metabolism.
abstract: An analysis of the turnover of the major phospholipids of Micrococcus cerificans growing or nongrowing cultures. The turnover rates of (14)C-PE and (14)C-PE were 61.5% of the total phospholipid, exhibited no significant rate of turnover in either growing or nongrowing cultures. The turnover rates of PE-(14)C and PE-(32)P were 3.2% per hr and 1.2% per hr, respectively. Phosphatidylglycerol (PG) exhibited a turnover rate of 11% and 7.7% per hr for (14)C and (32)P, respectively, indicating an extremely slow metabolism. PG metabolism was examined in greater detail, and the data indicated a preferential 75% incorporation of glycerol-1,3-(14)C into the unacylated portion of the PG molecule. The turnover of cardiolipin (CL) was extremely slow in growing cells whereas nongrowing cells exhibited a 30% and 36% increase per hr for (14)C-Cl and (14)C-CL, respectively. Glycerol-1,3-(14)C was not converted to phospholipid fatty acid carbon; all radioactivity appeared only in the water-soluble backbone of the phospholipids. The kinetics of assimilation of hexadecane-1-(14)C into cellular lipids is presented. Radioactivity in neutral lipid increased approximately sevenfold over the growth cycle, whereas radioactivity in phospholipid increased 50-fold during the same time period. The incorporation of radioactive fatty acids derived from the direct oxidation of hexadecane-1-(14)C demonstrated differential kinetics of assimilation into PE, PG, and CL. The results indicated a rapid turnover of phospholipid fatty acids in M. cerificans growing at the expense of hexadecane.
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000378:metabolism; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002854:Chromatography, Paper; D003470:Culture Media; D005990:Glycerol / Q000378:metabolism; D005994:Glycerophosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D008837:Micrococcus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D010759:Phosphorus Isotopes
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D003470:Culture Media; D005994:Glycerophosphates; D010710:Phosphates; D010743:Phospholipids; D010759:Phosphorus Isotopes; D005990:Glycerol