Lipids in the Classification and Identification of Coryneform Bacteria Containing Peptidoglycans Based on 2, 4‐diaminobutyric Acid

Strains of 2, 4‐diaminobutyric acid‐containing coryneform bacteria were degraded by acid methanolysis and the non‐hydroxylated fatty acid esters released examined by thin‐layer and gas chromatography. The major fatty acid structural types were straight‐chain, anteiso ‐ and iso ‐methyl branched‐chain acids. Polar lipids of the test strains were examined by two‐dimensional thin‐layer chromatography. All strains possessed very characteristic polar lipid patterns consisting of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and a number of uncharacterized glycolipids. Menaquinones (vitamin K) were the sole isoprenoid quinones detected in the test strains. Corynebacterium insidiosum, Cor. michiganense, Cor. nebraskense and Cor. sepedonicum contained unsaturated menaquinones with nine isoprene units, whereas unsaturated menaquinones with 10 isoprene units predominated in strains of Cor. iranicum and Cor. tritici and a strain labelled Arthrobacter sp. The single strain of Cor. aquaticum examined contained comparable amounts of menaquinones with 10 and 11 isoprene units whereas strains of Cor. mediolanum and Flavobacterium dehydrogenans contained major amounts of menaquinones with 11 and 12 isoprene units. The results of the present study indicate that lipid markers may be of considerable value in the classification and identification of 2, 4‐diaminobutyric acid‐containing phytopathogenic and saprophytic coryneform bacteria.