Relation between Cellular Phospholipids and the Excretion of L-Glutamic Acid by a Glycerol Auxotroph of Corynebacterium alkanolyticum

Abstract

Relation between cellular phospholipids and L-glutamic acid excretion was investigated using Corynebacterium alkanolyticum GL–21 (a glycerol auxotroph).When strain GL–21 was cultured in glycerol-limited medium which contained n-hexadecane, acetic acid or fructose as carbon source, there occurred the limitation of cellular phospholipid content and the over-accumulation of L-glutamic acid in the broth. Two-dimensional thin-layer chromatograms provided evidence that both the parent and the mutant strains contained the same phospholipids such as cardiolipin, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphadityl-glycerol, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidic acid. Limited supply of glycerol to the mutant did not greatly alter the proportions of the individual phospholipids.