Polar Lipid Profiles of the Genus Deinococcus

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Abstract
The radiation-resistant, red-pigmented bacteria belonging to the genus Deinococcus appear phenotypically similar to Micrococcus roseus, but the complex envelope profile and biochemical phylogenetic markers show them to be gram-negative clones of ancient lineage. All the type strains of indubitable Deinococcus species (D. radiodurans, D. radiophilus, D. proteolyticus and D. radiopugnans) and all the representative strains of D. radiodurans have unusual numbers of polar lipids (mostly phosphoglycolipids) and do not have phosphatidylglycerol (PG) or the phospholipids derived from it. This polar lipid profile is distinctive of the genus, and the patterns are useful for characterization. The lack of PG or di-PG and their derivatives provides a reasonably easy assignment to the genus Deinococcus and may allow recognition of relatives within the Deinococcaceae, which may not be radiation resistant. The species incertae sedis, D. erythromyxa, has a normal form of phospholipid profile, including PG. This, together with the peptidoglycan type L-Lys-L-Ala3-4, forces exclusion from Deinococcus and reassignment to Micrococcus.