Lipid Composition of Streptococcus mutans

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Abstract
Cellular fatty acids and extractable intact lipids of five strains of Streptococcus mutans grown on chemically defined medium were studied. The fatty acids were characterized by the predominance of the C16:0 and C18:1 components as well as traces of cyclopropane acids. The neutral lipids showed the presence of glycerides and the isoprenoids squalene and ficaprenol. The glycolipids consisted mainly of diglucosyldiglycerides accompanied in lesser amounts by the monoglucosyl analog. The phospholipids included, in addition to cardiolipin and phosphatidylglycerol as the major constituents, phosphatidylcholine. This fraction was also found to contain the sugar and sugar phosphate derivatives of ficaprenol.