PHOSPHOLIPID FATTY-ACID ESTER COMPOSITION OF PASTEURELLA-MULTOCIDA AND ACTINOBACILLUS-LIGNIERESII

Cell surface hydrophobicity properties vary dramatically, whereas cell envelope phospholipid composition is essentially identical among stra ins of Pasteurella multocida and Actinobacillus lignieresii. Fatty aci d ester composition of the major phospholipid fractions from cell surf ace hydrophobicity variants was examined to determine whether hydropho bic properties are influenced by cell envelope fatty acid content. Ind ividual phospholipids were resolved by preparative thin-layer chromato graphy, and methanolysis was performed with boron trifluoride-methanol . Gas-liquid chromatographic analysis revealed the organisms to be sim ilar qualitatively, whereas hydrophobic variants exhibited consistentl y greater and more disparate C-16:0 + C-16:1/C-14:0 ratios in all frac tions. Fatty acid composition of phospholipids may be related to surfa ce hydrophobicity properties of P. multocida variants. However, compar ative data obtained for A. lignieresii revealed a degree of similarity with P. multocida that precludes use of this parameter as a means for differentiation of these Pasteurellaceae type species, thereby suppor ting their taxonomic relatedness.