PHOSPHOLIPIDS IN VEGETATIVE CELLS AND SPORES OF BACILLUS POLYMYXA.

Matches, Jack R. (Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames), Homer W. Walker, and John C. Ayres. Phospholipids in vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus polymyxa. J. Bacteriol. 87:16-23. 1964.-The same types of phospholipids were recovered from both vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus polymyxa 1A39. Nitrogen-containing phospholipids were identified as phosphatidyl ethanolamine, lysophosphatidyl ethanolamine, lysophosphatidyl serine, and lysolecithin. Acidic phosphatides containing no nitrogen were identified as phosphatidic acid, phosphatidyl glycerol, and a fraction appearing to be bis (phosphatidic) acid. The major phosphatide fraction in both cells and spores was phosphatidyl ethanolamine. Smaller amounts of phosphatidyl glycerol and bis (phosphatidic) acid were present; the other acidic phospholipid components were present only in trace amounts. Heat resistance of the spore as compared to the vegetative cell could not be attributed to a specific phospholipid, since no difference in the type of phospholipids present was observed.