Abstract
The cellular fatty acid compositions of 100 strains representing 10 different species of Staphylococcus were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. Results indicated that the fatty acid compositions of the various species were qualitatively similar with the exception of that of S. warneri, which contained a C22 fatty acid component. The species differed quantitatively with respect to relative percentages of fatty acid components. The major fatty acids were C15Br, C17Br, C16, C18, and C20. S. warneri and S. saprophyticus can be differentiated in most cases from all of the other species studied by the presence of significantly higher percentages of C20 and C16 fatty acids, respectively. Other species or groups of related species could also be separated on the basis of combinations of fatty acid components. These findings corroborate the newly proposed scheme of classification of the staphylococci, but the particular usefulness of gas-liquid chromatography of fatty acids for the identification of clinically significant, coagulase-negative staphylococci from humans is primarily limited to S. saprophyticus and possibly S. haemolyticus. However, application of the method may be useful in clarifying further the phenetic relationships of certain species and may have some ecological value.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.