COMPATIBLE SOLUTES IN REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GENERA BREVIBACTERIUM AND CORYNEBACTERIUM - OCCURRENCE OF TETRAHYDROPYRIMIDINES AND GLUTAMINE

The aim of our investigation was to study the haloadaptation of a numb er of species of Gram-positive bacteria belonging to the genera Brevib acterium and Corynebacterium. We used two different HPLC-techniques an d C-13-NMR spectroscopy for the identification of osmolytes (compatibl e solutes). The tetrahydropyrimidines ('ectoines') are the main compat ible solutes in the genus Brevibacterium, whereas accumulation of glyc ine-betaine and accumulation or synthesis of glutamine is mainly respo nsible for osmoadaptation in the genus Corynebacterium. Pipecolic acid , formerly described as a potential osmolyte synthesized de novo in C. ammoniagenes, does not contribute markedly to the solute pool, unless supplemented to the medium.