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A variety of glycolipids in green photosynthetic bacteria

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Abstract

The compositions of glycolipids in the following seven strains of green photosynthetic bacteria were investigated at the molecular level using LC–MS coupled with an evaporative light scattering detector: Chlorobium (Chl.) limicola strains Larsen (30 °C as the optimal cultivation temperature) and DSM245 (30 °C), Chlorobaculum (Cba.) tepidum strain ATCC49652 (45 °C), Cba. parvum strain NCIB8327 (30 °C), Cba. limnaeum strain 1549 (30 °C), Chl. phaeovibrioides DSM269 (30 °C), and Chloroflexus (Cfl.) aurantiacus strain J-10-fl (55 °C). Dependence of the molecular structures of glycolipids including the chain-length of their acyl groups upon bacterial cultivation temperatures was clearly observed. The organisms with their optimal temperatures of 30, 45, and 55 °C dominantly accumulated glycolipids possessing the acyl chains in the range of C15–C16, C16–C17, and C18–C20, respectively. Cba. tepidum with an optimal temperature of 45 °C preferred the insertion of a methylene group to produce finally a C17-cyclopropane chain. Cfl. aurantiacus cultured optimally at 55 °C caused a drastic increase in the chain-length. Notably, the length of such acyl groups corresponded to that of the esterifying chain in the 17-propionate residues of self-aggregative bacteriochlorophylls-c/d/e, indicating stabilization of their supramolecular structures through hydrophobic interactions among those hydrocarbon chains. Based on the detailed compositions of glycolipids, a survival strategy of green photosynthetic bacteria grown in the wide range of temperatures is discussed.

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Abbreviations

BChl:

Bacteriochlorophyll

Cba. :

Chlorobaculum

Cfl. :

Chloroflexus

Chl. :

Chlorobium

DGDG:

Digalactosyldiacylglyceride

ELSD:

Evaporative light scattering detector

ESI:

Electrospray ionization

FMO protein:

Fenna–Matthews–Olson protein

MGDG:

Monogalactosyldiacylglyceride

RGDG:

Rhamnosylgalactosyldiacylglyceride

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. H. Oh-oka of Osaka University for his provision of Chl. limicola strain Larsen, Mr. D. Shoutsu, Mr. M. Miyoshi, Dr. K. Nakagawa and Dr. S. Kawana of Shimadzu Corporation for their GC–MS analyses of aliphatic acid methyl esters, and Dr. Y. Tsukatani of Ritsumeikan University for his useful discussion. This study was partially supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (No. 22245030) (to HT) and (C) (No. 24550065) (to TM) as well as for Young Scientists (B) (No. 24750169) (to JH) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan

    Tadashi Mizoguchi, Taichi Yoshitomi & Hitoshi Tamiaki

  2. Department of Medical Biochemistry, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka, 830-0011, Japan

    Jiro Harada

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  1. Tadashi Mizoguchi
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  2. Jiro Harada
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  3. Taichi Yoshitomi
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  4. Hitoshi Tamiaki
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Correspondence to Hitoshi Tamiaki.

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Mizoguchi, T., Harada, J., Yoshitomi, T. et al. A variety of glycolipids in green photosynthetic bacteria. Photosynth Res 114, 179–188 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-013-9802-9

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