OLEYL OLEATE AND HOMOLOGOUS WAX ESTERS SYNTHESIZED COORDINATELY FROM OLEIC-ACID BY ACINETOBACTER AND CORYNEFORM STRAINS

Newly isolated Acinetobacter (NRRL B-14920, B-14921, B-14923) and cory neform (NRRL B-14922) strains accumulated oleyl oleate and homologous liquid wax esters (C-30:2-C-36:2) in culture broths, Diunsaturated ole yl oleate preponderated in 75 mg liquid wax eaters (280 mg lipid extra ct) recovered from 100-ml cultures of Acinetobacter B-14920 supplement ed with 810 mg oleic acid-oleyl alcohol. With soybean oil instead of o leic acid, wax esters (260 mg) were increased to approximately 50% of the lipid extract, Production of wax esters by cultures supplemented w ith combined fatty (C-8-C-18) alcohols and acids su sts a coordinated synthesis whereby the exogenous alcohol remains unaltered, and the fat ty acid is partially oxidized with removal of C-2 units before esterif ication. Consequently, C-8-C-18 primary alcohols control chain lengths of the wax esters. Exogenous fatty acids are presumed to enter an int racellular oxidation pool from which is produced a homologous series o f liquid wax esters.