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J Bacteriol. 1971 September; 107(3): 704-711
Copyright © 1971 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Isolation and Characterization of a Phosphatidylethanolamine-Deficient Mutant of Bacillus subtilis

^a Department of Bacteriology, Rutgers—The State University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903

ABSTRACT

A mutant of Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6051 deficient in phosphatidylethanolamine, an important membrane lipid, was isolated by a combination of nitrosoguanidine mutagenesis and penicillin concentration of auxotrophs employing phosphatidylethanolamine as a supplement. The mutant was compared to the parent strain with regard to lipid composition, growth, osmotic fragility, and staining character and differed substantially in each category. In addition to scant amounts of phosphatidylethanolamine, the mutant contained phosphatidylglycerol, cardiolipin, lysyl phosphatidylglycerol, and diglucosyldiglyceride, though in amounts differing from those found in the parent strain. The mutant was unable to grow appreciably on synthetic media, had enhanced osmotic fragility of protoplasts, and resisted decolorization in staining.

¹ Present address: Department of Microbiology, Cornell University Medical College, New York, N.Y. 10021.