Characteristics of a Lipolytic and Fatty Acid-requiring Butyrivibrio sp. Isolated from the Ovine Rumen

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Abstract
A naturally occurring fatty acid-requiring Butyrivibrio sp. (strain S2), isolated from the ovine rumen, deacylates plant galactolipids, phospholipids and sulfolipids to obtain sufficient fatty acid for growth. Growth in vitro was promoted by adding a single straight-chain saturated fatty acid (C13-C18) or vaccenic acid to the growth medium. Palmitoleic and oleic acid also supported growth, but gave lengthy lag phases, probably due to their toxicity. Linolenic and linoleic acids supported good growth, but they were completely hydrogenated to trans-11-octadecenoic acid which was incorporated into the bacterial complex lipids. No chain elongation, chain shortening or desaturation of the added fatty acids occurred and all were substantially incorporated into bacterial lipids of the plasmalogen type, partially as a new type of hydrophobic grouping derived from 2 molecules of fatty acid. The absence of fatty acid unsaturation poses the question of the maintenance of membrane fluidity within this bacterium.