Lipid composition of some species of Arthrobacter.

The lipids from Arthrobacter crystallopoietes, A. pascens, and A. globiformis were investigated. Each strain contained three glycolipids, a monogalactosyl diglyceride, a digalactosyl diglyceride, and a dimannosyl diglyceride, and traces of triand tetraglycosyl diglycerides. The phospholipids in all three strains consisted of bisphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidylmyoinositol. No evidence could be obtained for the occurrence of mannophosphoinositides. Analysis of the fatty acids by gas-liquid chromatography showed that they are predominantly C(15:0)anteiso and C(17:0)anteiso compounds. No significant differences were observed in the composition of lipids extracted from homogeneous cell preparations of the rod and sphere forms of A. crystallopoietes.