Novel variation of lipid A structures in strains of different Yersinia species

The Yersinia genus includes human and animal pathogens (plague, enterocolit is). The fine structures of the endotoxin lipids A of seven strains of Yers inia enterocolitica, Yersinia ruckeri and Yersinia pestis were determined a nd compared using mass spectrometry. These lipids differed in secondary acy lation at C-2': this was dodecanoic acid (C-12) for two strains of Y. enter ocolitica and Y. ruckeri, tetradecanoic acid (C-14) in two other Y. enteroc olitica and hexadecenoic acid (C-16:1) in Y. pestis. The enterocolitica lip ids having a mass identical to that of Escherichia coli were found to be st ructurally different. The results supported the idea of a relation between membrane fluidity and environmental adaptability in Yersinia. (C) 2000 Fede ration of European Biochemical Societies.