This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lillich, T. T. Articles by White, D. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lillich, T. T. Articles by White, D. C.

Phospholipid Metabolism in the Absence of Net Phospholipid Synthesis in a Glycerol-Requiring Mutant of Bacillus subtilis

Biochemistry Department, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, Kentucky 40506

ABSTRACT

A glycerol-requiring auxotroph of Bacillus subtilis showed no net synthesis of phospholipid when deprived of glycerol. Although there was no net synthesis of phospholipid, we found that: (i) fatty acids and ³²P were slowly incorporated into phospholipid; (ii) in pulse-chase experiments, both ³²P and ¹⁴C in the glycerol portion of the phospholipids were lost from phosphatidlyglycerol (PG) and lysylphosphatidylglycerol and accumulated in cardiolipin (CL); (iii) the proportions of the phospholipids in the membrane changed with a loss of PG and an accumulation of CL. The addition of glycerol to the glycerol-deprived cells resulted in a rapid incorporation of glycerol and restoration to the predeprivation metabolism and PG to CL ratio.