Analysis of caulobacter crescentus lipids.

The lipids of Caulobacter crescentus, a procaryotic species which differentiates into stalked and swarmer cell types, were analyzed. Major lipid classes were purified by chromatography and identified by both chromatographic and chemical methods. Approximately half of the total lipid fraction of this organism consisted of glycolipis, which were primarily monoglucosyldiglyceride and an acylated glucuronic acid. Two of the phospholipids of C. crescentus were identified as phopshatidylglycerol and acylphosphatidylglycerol. Commonly occurring bacterial phospholipids, such as phosphatidylethanolamine and cardiolipin (diphosphatidylglycerol), were not detected. Monoglyceride and diglyceride were found in the neutral lipid fraction, which made up 10% of the total lipid. Quantitative lipid compositional studies, performed by the incorporation of [14C]acetate and [32P]orthophosphate into growing cultures, revealed that separated swarmer and stalked cells had similar lipid compositions. However, stationary-phase cultures, compared with logaritmic cultures, had decreased amounts of phosphatidylglycerol and diglyceride and increased amounts of acylphosphatidylglycerol and a glucuronic acid-containing glycolipid, glycolipid X. In addition, two glycolipids were only detected in stationary-phase cultures. These studies indicate that C. crescentus has a distinctive lipid composition compared with those of other procaryotic species which have been analyzed.