Identification of the amide-linked fatty acids of Acholeplasma axanthum S743 as D(-)3-hydroxyhexadecanoate and its homologues.

The amide-linked fatty acids of the sphingolipids of Acholeplasma axanthum S743 are predominantly hydroxy acids. These acids were shown by gas-liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and polarimetry to be the d(-)3-hydroxy fatty acids. The predominant component of the mixture was 3-hydroxyhexadecanoate (beta-hydroxypalmitate, hydroxy [h] 16:0) followed by h 20Delta (Delta = unsaturated), h14:0, h12:0, and h18Delta in decreasing order of concentration. The fatty acid profile indicates that these beta-hydroxy acids possibly arise from elongation of the fatty acids supplied in the growth medium.