title: Incorporation of chlorinated alkanes into fatty acids of hydrocarbon-utilizing mycobacteria.
abstract: The cellular fatty acid composition of Mycobacterium vaccae JOB5 and Mycobacterium convolutum R22 was examined after growth on n-alkanes and compared with the fatty acids of the organisms after growth on 1-chlorohexadecane and 1-chlorooctadecane. Growth on n-alkanes resulted in normal fatty acid profiles. Mass spectral analyses indicated that, after growth on the terminally chlorinated n-alkanes, 75 to 86% of the fatty acids in M. convolutum and ca. 55% of the fatty acids in M. vaccae contained chlorine. Neither organism could utilize chloroacetate or 3-chloropropionate as sole source of carbon and energy. When these compounds were added to a growth medium with n-hexadecane as substrate, there was no evidence that chlorinated fatty acids were produced. Terminally chlorinated n-alkanes can be added to the list of n-alkanes, alkenes, and cyclohexylalkane derivatives that can be directly incorporated into cellular fatty acids of hydrocarbon-utilizing organisms.
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000378:metabolism; D000473:Alkanes / Q000378:metabolism*; D002713:Chlorine / Q000032:analysis; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000378:metabolism*; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011422:Propionates / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D000473:Alkanes; D005227:Fatty Acids; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D011422:Propionates; C029539:octadecyl chloride; D002713:Chlorine; C006972:chloroacetic acid; C007022:3-chloropropionic acid; C039858:1-chlorohexadecane