Chemotaxonomy of aerobic Actinomycetes: Phospholipid composition

Abstract

A survey of the phospholipid composition of 97 strains representing 20 genera of the Actinomycetales showed that five groups could be distinguished on the basis of the presence or absence of certain nitrogenous phospholipids. Phospholipid type PI (no nitrogenous phospholipids) is characteristic of the genera Actinomadura ( madurae, pelletieri). Corynebacterium, Microtetraspora and Nocardioides. Actinomycetes of Type PII contain only one nitrogenous phospholipid, phosphatidyl ethanolamine. These include members of the genera Actinoplanes, Chainia, Dactylosporangium, Microellobosporia, Micromonospora, Micropolyspora (brevicatena), Mycobacterium, Nocardia (all species examined but autotrophica), Streptomyces and Streptoverticillium. Phospholipid pattern type PIII (characteristic phospholipid, phosphatidyl choline) was found in Actinomadura (dassonvillei). Micropolyspora (faeni), Nocardia (autotrophica), and Pseudonocardia. Actinomycetes having a type P IV pattern contain an unknown, previously undescribed phospholipid containing glucosamine (GluNU) which was found to be characteristic of members of the genera Intrasporangium, Microbispora and Streptosporangium. Actinomycetes of type PV contain phosphatidyl glycerol in addition to GluNU and include members of the genera Promicromonospora and Oerskovia. Other phospholipids found variably in all groups included phosphatidyl inositol, phosphatidyl inositol mannosides, phosphatidyl methylethanolamine, acyl phosphatidyl glycerol (APG) and diphosphatidyl glycerol (DPG). The fatty acids present in DPG (or APG when DPG was absent) may be species-specific. The chemical heterogeneity of the genera Actinomadura, Corynebacterium, Micropolyspora and Nocardia is discussed.