STUDY OF THE LIPIDS OF BREVIBACTERIUM SPECIES R312

The polar and neutral lipid composition of Brevibacterium sp R312 was investigated. The fatty acids were straight-chain, saturated or mono-u nsaturated, with up to 26 carbon atoms; a branched-chain nonadecanoic acid was one of the major fatty acids. The phospholipids were mainly p hosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidic acid. T he strain also contained mycolic acids. This composition was not consi stent with the classification of the strain in the brevibacteria. Ther efore, further taxonomic studies were performed, leading to the conclu sion that the strain should be reclassified as Rhodococcus sp R312. Th is strain did not correspond to any previously described species.