title: Novel variation of lipid A structures in strains of different Yersinia species.
abstract: The Yersinia genus includes human and animal pathogens (plague, enterocolitis). The fine structures of the endotoxin lipids A of seven strains of Yersinia enterocolitica, Yersinia ruckeri and Yersinia pestis were determined and compared using mass spectrometry. These lipids differed in secondary acylation at C-2': this was dodecanoic acid (C(12)) for two strains of Y. enterocolitica and Y. ruckeri, tetradecanoic acid (C(14)) in two other Y. enterocolitica and hexadecenoic acid (C(16:1)) in Y. pestis. The enterocolitica lipids having a mass identical to that of Escherichia coli were found to be structurally different. The results supported the idea of a relation between membrane fluidity and environmental adaptability in Yersinia.
authors.affiliation: Equipe 'Endotoxines', UMR 8619 du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Biochimie, Université de Paris-Sud, F-91405, Orsay, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aussel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thérisod
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karibian
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruneteau
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caroff
mesh_terms: D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D008050:Lipid A / Q000737:chemistry*; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D008970:Molecular Weight; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D015007:Yersinia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D008050:Lipid A