Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Properties of Bacillus acidocaldarius mutants deficient in ω-cyclohexyl fatty acid biosynthesis

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
Archives of Microbiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mutants of the thermoacidophilic Bacillus acidocaldarius, auxotrophic for shikimate or cyclohyxyl-carboxylate, were isolated and characterized. The cyclohexylcarboxylate auxotrophs could be divided by crossfeeding experiments into two groups according to their genetic block. The cyclohexylcarboxylate auxotrophs were deficient in ω-cyclohexyl fatty acid biosynthesis. If the mutants were fed with branched-chain amino acids or short branched-chain fatty acids instead of cyclohexylcarboxylate they form a fatty acid pattern consisting of branched-chain fatty acids. In the high temperature/low pH range the growth yield of cells with this fatty acid pattern is lower as compared to wild type cells or mutants fed with cyclohexylcarboxylate. The same cells are also more sensitive to heat shocks and ethanol. The transport systems for lysine, glutamate and glucose are severely altered by the fatty acid pattern. It was also shown that the density of the lipids containing ω-cyclohexyl fatty acids is higher compared to cells with branched-chain fatty acids. Thus it could be supposed that this alteration influences transport systmes in a direct manner or via energization of the cytoplasmic membrane.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allgaier H, Poralla K, Jung G (1985) ω-Cycloheptyl-α-hydroxyundecanoic acid, a new fatty acid from a thermoacidophilic Bacillus species. Liebigs Ann Chem 378–382

  • Asgharian D, Rice DK, Cadenhead DA, Lewis RNAH, McElhaney RN (1989) Monolayer film behavior of a homologous series of 1,2-bis(ω-cyclohexylacyl)phosphatidylcholines at the air/water interface. Langmuir 5:30–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Benz R, Hallmann D, Poralla K, Eibl H (1983) Interaction of hopanoids with phosphatidylcholines containing oleic and ω-cyclohexyldodecanoic acid in lipid bilayer membranes. Chem Phys Lipids 34:7–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Bligh EG, Dyer WJ (1959) A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification. Can J Biochem Physiol 37:911–917

    Google Scholar 

  • Darland G, Brock TD (1971) Bacillus acidocaldarius sp. nov., an acidophilic thermophilic spore-forming bacterium. J Gen Microbiol 67:9–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Deinhard G, Saar J, Krischke W, Poralla K (1987) Bacillus cycloheptanicus sp. nov., a new thermoacidophile containing ω-cycloheptane fatty acids. Syst Appl Microbiol 10:68–73

    Google Scholar 

  • DeRosa M, Gambacorta A, Minale L, Bu'Lock JD (1971) Cyclohexane fatty acids from a thermophilic bacterium. J Chem Soc Chem Commun 1971:1334

    Google Scholar 

  • DeRosa M, Gambacorta A, Minale L, Bu'Lock JD (1972) The formation of ω-cyclohexyl-fatty acids in an acidophilic thermophilic bacillus. Biochem J 128:751–754

    Google Scholar 

  • DeRosa M, Gambacorta A, Bu'Lock JD (1974a) Effect of pH and temperature on the fatty acid composition of Bacillus acidocaldarius. J Bacteriol 117:212–214

    Google Scholar 

  • DeRose M, Gambacorta A, Bu'Lock JD (1974b) Origin of cyclohexanecarboxylic acid in Bacillus acidocaldarius. Phytochemistry 13:1793–1794

    Google Scholar 

  • DeRosa M, Gambacorta A, Bu'Lock JD (1974c) Specificity effects in the biosynthesis of fatty acids in Bacillus acidocaldarius. Phytochemistry 13:905–910

    Google Scholar 

  • DeRosa M, Esposito E, Gambacorta A, Nicolaus B, Bu'Lock JD (1980) Effects of temperature on the ether lipid composition of Caldariella acidophila. Phytochemistry 19:827–831

    Google Scholar 

  • Dreher R, Poralla K, König WA (1976) Synthesis of ω-alicyclic fatty acids from cyclic precursors in Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol 127:1136–1140

    Google Scholar 

  • Farrand SG, Linton JD, Stephenson RJ, MacCarthy WV (1983) The use of response surface analysis to study growth of Bacillus acidocaldarius throughout the growth range of temperature and pH. Arch Microbiol 135:272–275

    Google Scholar 

  • Guffanti AA, Hou E (1987) The effect of pH on the passive proton conductance of Bacillus acidocaldarius. FEMS Microbiol Lett 41:275–278

    Google Scholar 

  • Hippchen B, Röll A, Poralla K (1981) Occurrence in soil of thermoacidophilic bacilli possessing ω-cyclohexane fatty acids and hopanoids. Arch Microbiol 129:53–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaneda T (1966) Biosynthesis of branched-chain fatty acids. IV. Factors affecting relative abundance of fatty acids produced by Bacillus subtilis. Can J Microbiol 12:501–514

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaneda T (1977) Fatty acids of the genus Bacillus: An example of branched chain preference. Bacteriol Rev 41:391–418

    Google Scholar 

  • Kannenberg E, Blume A, Poralla K (1984) Properties of ω-cyclohexane fatty acids in membranes. FEBS Lett 172:331–334

    Google Scholar 

  • Krulwich TA, Davidson LF, Filip SJ Jr, Zuckerman RS, Guffanti AA (1978) The protonmotive force and β-galactoside transport in Bacillus acidocaldarius. J Biol Chem 253:4599–4603

    Google Scholar 

  • Lederberg J, Lederberg EM (1952) Replica plating and indirect selection of bacterial mutants. J Bacteriol 63:399–406

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis RNAH, McElhaney RN (1985) Thermotropic phase behavior of model membranes composed of phosphatidylcholines containing ω-cyclohexyl fatty acids. Differential scanning calorimetric and 31P NMR spectroscopic studies. Biochemistry 24:4903–4911

    Google Scholar 

  • Michels M, Bakker EP (1985) Generation of a large, protonophore-sensitive proton motive force and pH difference in the acidophilic bacteria Thermoplasma acidophilum and Bacillus acidocaldarius. J Bacteriol 161:231–237

    Google Scholar 

  • Oshima M, Ariga T (1975) ω-Cyclohexyl fatty acids in acidophilic thermophilic bacteria. Studies on their presence, structure and biosynthesis using precursors labelled with stable isotopes and radioisotopes. J Biol Chem 250:6963–6968

    Google Scholar 

  • Poralla K, König WA (1983) The occurrence of ω-cycloheptane fatty acids in a thermo-acidophilic bacillus. FEMS Microbiol Lett 16:303–306

    Google Scholar 

  • Poralla K, Härtner T, Kannenberg E (1984) Effect of temperature and pH on the hopanoid content of Bacillus acidocaldarius. FEMS Microbiol Lett 23:253–256

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlenk H, Gellermann JL (1960) Esterification of fatty acids with diazomethane on a small scale. Analyt Chem 32:1412–1414

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt G, Knoll W (1985) Densitometric characterization of aqueous lipid dispersions. Ber Bunsenges Phys Chem 89:36–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki KI, Saito K, Kawaguchi A, Okuda S, Komagata K (1981) Occurrence of ω-cyclohexyl fatty acids in Curtobacterium pusillum. J Gen Appl Microbiol 27:261–266

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Botanisches Institut, Mikrobiologie, Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 1, D-7400, Tübingen, Germany

    W. Krischke & K. Poralla

Authors
  1. W. Krischke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. Poralla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Krischke, W., Poralla, K. Properties of Bacillus acidocaldarius mutants deficient in ω-cyclohexyl fatty acid biosynthesis. Arch. Microbiol. 153, 463–469 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00248428

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00248428

Key words

Search

Navigation