Effect of Biotin on Fatty Acid Distribution in Escherichia coli

Abstract

Gavin, John J. (Rutgers, The State University, New Brunswick, N.J.), and Wayne W. Umbreit . Effect of biotin on fatty acid distribution in Escherichia coli . J. Bacteriol. 89: 437–443. 1965.—Biotin deficiency causes changes in the composition and distribution of the fatty acids in cell wall-cell membrane fractions of Escherichia coli T 94A. Most notable among the fatty acid changes are decreased amounts of unsaturated fatty acids, the presence of unsaponifiable lipid material, and the lack of a lipopolysaccharide fraction in the cell wall-cell membrane. Also, though the hexane-extractable material from the lipoprotein fraction of biotin-adequate cells will transfer glucose from water to hexane, the same material from biotin-deficient cells will not.