title: The presence of linoleic acid in Escherichia coli cannot be confirmed.
abstract: Escherichia coli was recently reported to accumulate significant quantities of linoleic acid in stationary phase (H. Rabinowitch, D. D. Sklan, D. H. Chace, R. D. Stevens, and I. Fridovich, J. Bacteriol. 175:5324-5328, 1993). Since this finding would have considerable impact on the biochemical mechanisms of type II fatty acid synthases, we have attempted to confirm this observation. We found no evidence for the accumulation of linoleic acid in late-stationary-phase cultures of E. coli and conclude that the results of Rabinowitch et al. are artifactual.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 61801.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cronan
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Rock
mesh_terms: D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D008041:Linoleic Acids / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D019787:Linoleic Acid