Microbial Assimilation of Hydrocarbons: Phospholipid Metabolism

Abstract

An analysis of the turnover of the major phospholipids of Micrococcus cerificans growing or nongrowing cultures. The turnover rates of 14 C-PE and 14 C-PE were 61.5% of the total phospholipid, exhibited no significant rate of turnover in either growing or nongrowing cultures. The turnover rates of PE- 14 C and PE- 32 P were 3.2% per hr and 1.2% per hr, respectively. Phosphatidylglycerol (PG) exhibited a turnover rate of 11% and 7.7% per hr for 14 C and 32 P, respectively, indicating an extremely slow metabolism. PG metabolism was examined in greater detail, and the data indicated a preferential 75% incorporation of glycerol- 1,3 - 14 C into the unacylated portion of the PG molecule. The turnover of cardiolipin (CL) was extremely slow in growing cells whereas nongrowing cells exhibited a 30% and 36% increase per hr for 14 C-Cl and 14 C-CL, respectively. Glycerol- 1,3 - 14 C was not converted to phospholipid fatty acid carbon; all radioactivity appeared only in the water-soluble backbone of the phospholipids. The kinetics of assimilation of hexadecane- 1 - 14 C into cellular lipids is presented. Radioactivity in neutral lipid increased approximately sevenfold over the growth cycle, whereas radioactivity in phospholipid increased 50-fold during the same time period. The incorporation of radioactive fatty acids derived from the direct oxidation of hexadecane- 1 - 14 C demonstrated differential kinetics of assimilation into PE, PG, and CL. The results indicated a rapid turnover of phospholipid fatty acids in M. cerificans growing at the expense of hexadecane.