The spatial distribution of phospholipids and glycolipids in the membrane of the bacterium Micrococcus luteus varies during the cell cycle.
Recently, we have developed a photocrosslinking approach which uses anthracene as a photoactivatable group and which allows us to determine the lateral distribution of lipids in membranes quantitatively. In synchronous cultures of the gram-positive bacterium Micrococcus luteus, this approach shows that the spatial distribution of phosphatidylglycerol and dimannosyldiacylglycerol, the two major lipids in the bacterial membrane, varies greatly during the cell cycle. Minimum heterogeneity was observed during cell growth while maximum heterogeneity was detected during cell division.
Welby
M
M
Laboratoire de Pharmacologie et Toxicologie Fondamentales du CNRS, Dpt. III, Toulouse, France.
Poquet
Y
Y
Tocanne
J F
JF
D002453:Cell Cycle; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000032:analysis*; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D016982:Micrococcus luteus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010715:Phosphatidylglycerols / Q000032:analysis; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis*
D006017:Glycolipids; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D010715:Phosphatidylglycerols; D010743:Phospholipids; C031647:dimannosyl diacylglycerol