Analysis of phospholipids in membrane of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans grown in liquid (ferrous sulphate and sodium thiosulphate) and solid (sulfur) substrate

Phospholipids (PLs) are the important components of cell membrane of all living organisms. The PL or the cell membrane of the bacteria are the least studied subject as it involves large quantities of material and few methods to assay. The novel study was designed to understand if the cell membrane remains same or it changes during different conditions. The bacteria, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans which can live as a planktonic as well as sessile form was chosen to study the difference in Phospholipids present in the cell membrane. The Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans was grown in liquid substrate Sodium Thiosulphate and a solid substrate Sulfur keeping Ferrous Sulphate substrate grown bacteria as a control. The PLs were extracted using Bligh and Dyer method and concentrated by nitrogen stream drying and isolated using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC). The isolated PLs were subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to characterize the isolated PLs. The results show that Rf value of the PLs and the yield were different in Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans grown in Ferrous Sulphate, Sodium Thiosulphate and Sulfur substrates. The present study has successfully demonstrated for the first time that the PLs were not same in both liquid and solid substrate grown bacteria. Hence it is proved beyond doubt that when bacteria are exposed to different environments they modify the cell membranes to adapt to the new conditions. The Biofilm forming planktonic Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans bacteria had different PLs profile then sessile bacterial.