Fatty acids of Fusobacterium species: taxonomic implications.

Fatty acids of Fusobacterium species were examined by gas-liquid chromatography. Fusobacterium nucleatum, F. necrophorum, F. mortiferum, F. gonidiaformans and F. varium showed similar patterns, characterized by the presence of 3-hydroxytetradecanoate, n-tetradecanoate, hexadecenoate, n-hexadeconoate, ocadecenoate, n-octadecanoate and a component having the properties of octadecadienoate. Fusobacterium nucleatum contained 3-hydroxyhexadecanoate as a distinctive character. Simpler fatty acid patterns characterized by the absence of 3-hydroxytetradecanoate and other hydroxy fatty acids were observed in F. plauti, the single strain of F. prausnitzii and in the majority of strains classified as F. russii and F. naviforme. Neither methyl-branched nor cyclopropane fatty acids could be detected in any of the strains examined. In addition to fatty acid methyl esters, the chromatographic profiles of all species except F. mortiferum, F. gonidiaformans and F. naviforme contained substantial amounts of fatty aldehyde dimethyl acetals of chain lengths C14 to C18.