Occurrence of 2- and 3-hydroxy fatty acids in high concentrations in the extractable and bound lipids of Flavobacterium meningosepticum and Flavobacterium IIb.

The major hydroxy fatty acids of cellular lipids in Flavobacterium meningosepticum and Flavobacterium sp. King's group UUb were identified as 2-hydroxy 13-methyltetradecanoic, 3-hydroxy 13-methyltetradecanoic, 3-hydroxy palmitic, and 3-hydroxy 15-methylhexadecanoic acids using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and GC-mass fragmentography. The concentration of these hydroxy fatty acids comprised up to 30-40% of the total extractable and 20-30% of the bound lipid fatty acids, respectively. From the stability for mild alkaline hydrolysis, 2-hydroxy fatty acids seemed to be attached with ester linkage, and 3-hydroxy fatty acids with amide linkage.