Cellular fatty acid composition with special reference to the existence of hydroxy fatty acids in gramnegative methanol-, methane-, and methylamine-utilizing bacteria.

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Abstract
Cellular fatty acids were investigated in 117 strains of methanol-utilizing, 8 strains of methane-utilizing, and 4 strains of methylamine-utilizing bacteria. These bacteria were divided into two major groups on the basis of their types of cellular fatty acid composition. Type A composition includes large amounts of C16:0 acid and C16:1 acid, and occurs in the so-called obligately methanol-utilizing bacteria and in the methane-utilizing bacteria which use the ribulose monophosphate pathway for C1-compound utilization. These bacteria contain ubiquinone Q-8 and squalene. A large amount of C18:1 acid (Type B) occurs in facultatively methanol- and/or methylamine-utilizing bacteria, and methane-utilizing bacteria which use the serine pathway for C1-compound utilization. C1-compound-utilizing bacteria with Type A cellular fatty acid composition were further divided into three types based on the 3-hydroxy fatty acid composition. These types occurred in the genera Methylobacillus, Methylophaga, and Methylomonas. C1-utilizing bacteria with Type B cellular fatty acid composition were subdivided into 7 types based on hydroxy fatty acid composition. 2-Hydroxy acid was detected only in acidophilic methanol-utilizing bacteria (Acetobacter strains). The significance of hydroxy fatty acid composition in the classification of C1-utilizing bacteria is discussed.