Abstract
An enhancement of Β-sitosterol transformation to androstendione byMycobacterium vaccae observed in medium containing egg-yolk lecithin, was associated with the incorporation of a considerable amount of lecithin into the cell envelope lipids. By GC/MS measurements, fatty acids ranging from 14 to 22 carbon atoms were identified in the lipids removed from the cells by organic solvents. Octadecenoic (18:1), 2-methyl-octadecenoic (2-Me 18:1), and hexadecanoic (16:0) acids were the major components of the lipid preparation obtained from both the control cells, and the cells grown in lecithin-containing medium. However, in the fatty acid pattern of the latter a distinct increase in the C18:1 component, concomitant with the decrease in the 2-Me 18:1 fatty acid was demonstrated. The C16 fatty acid fraction also showed a higher content of methyl-branched components in the control cell preparation. The enrichment in unsaturated fatty acids increases fluidity of lipids, whereas the decrease in methyl-branched fatty acids may affect the conformation of the surface lipidic components, which may result in enhanced sterol penetration through the cell wall barrier in the presence of lecithin.
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Rumijowska, A., Lisowska, K., Ziótkowski, A. et al. Transformation of sterols byMycobacterium vaccae: effect of lecithin on the permeability of cell envelopes to sterols. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 13, 89–95 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02770813
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02770813