INCORPORATION OF ISOBUTYRATE AND VALERATE INTO CELLULAR PLASMALOGEN BY BACTEROIDES SUCCINOGENES

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Abstract
Wegner , G. H. (University of Wisconsin, Madison) and E. M. Foster . Incorporation of isobutyrate and valerate into cellular plasmalogen by Bacteroides succinogenes . J. Bacteriol. 85: 53–61. 1963.— Bacteroides succinogenes was found to require both a branched-chain volatile fatty acid (e.g., isobutyric) and a straight-chain acid (e.g., valeric) for growth. The organism used the acids as precursors for the synthesis of long-chain fatty acids and fatty aldehydes, which in turn were employed in the synthesis of phospholipid, mainly ethanolamine plasmalogen. Isobutyric acid was incorporated primarily into branched-chain C 14 and C 16 acids (tentatively identified as 12-methyl tridecanoic and 14-methyl pentadecanoic acids, respectively), and into fatty aldehydes. Valeric acid was used mainly for the synthesis of n -C 13 and n -C 15 fatty acids and fatty aldehydes. Apparently the two short-chain fatty acids were built up by the addition of two-carbon units to form the long-chain acids and aldehydes of the plasmalogen.