SATISFACTORY SEPARATION AND MS-MS SPECTROMETRY OF 6 SURFACTINS ISOLATED FROM BACILLUS-SUBTILIS NATTO

We optimized HPLC conditions for the first time to achieve satisfactor y separation of six surfactins, two of which were novel, isolated from Bacillus subtilis natto. Peptide sequences were analyzed by sophistic ated MS-MS analysis, performed with a pair of two surfactins with diff erent fatty acid substitutions. Fragment peaks were divided into two s eries; one was a series of the ions which carried fatty acid, and thus were characterized by the fatty acid mass difference, and the other w as a series of the ions which consisted of pure peptide and thus showe d a superimposable pattern between a pair of surfactins.