Composition of lipids in roots, stalks, leaves and flowers of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms

The lipid contents of the roots, leaf stalks, leaves and flowers of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms (water-hyacinth) were 1.6, 0.9, 14.9 and 5.7%, respectively, on a dry-weight basis. Non-polar lipids were half the total, while glycolipids and phospholipids in approximately equal proportions constituted the remainder, except in leaf stalks, where glycolipids were a larger fraction. Among the non-polar lipids, triacyglycerols predominated, except for pigments in the leaves. Monogalactosyldiglycerides and digalactosyldiglycerides were the major glycolipids. The main phospholipids were phosphatidylcholine in the roots, phosphatidylglycerol in the leaf stalks and leaves, and phosphatidylethanolamine in the flowers. The major fatty acids were palmitic and linoleic in the roots, linoleic in the leaf stalks, palmitic in the leaves, and linolenic and linoleic in the flowers.     

Lipid composition of the electron transport membrane of Haemophilus parainfluenzae

The principal lipids associated with the electron transport membrane of Haemophilus parainfluenzae are phosphatidylethanolamine (78%), phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine (0.4%), phosphatidylglycerol (18%), phosphatidylcholine (0.4%), phosphatidylserine (0.4%), phosphatidic acid (0.2%), and cardiolipin (3.0%). Phospholipids account for 98.4% of the extractible fatty acids. There are no glycolipids, plasmalogens, alkyl ethers, or lipo amino acid esters in the membrane lipids. Glycerol phosphate esters derived from the phospholipids by mild alkaline methanolysis were identified by their staining reactions, mobility on paper and ion-exchange column chromatography, and by the molar glycerol to phosphate ratios. Eleven diacyl phospholipids can be separated by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. Each lipid served as a substrate for phospholipase D, and had a fatty acid to phosphate ratio of 2:1. Each separated diacyl phospholipid was deacylated and the glycerol phosphate ester was identified by paper chromatography in four solvent systems. Of the 11 separated phospholipids, 3 were phosphatidylethanolamines, 2 were phosphatidylserines, and 2 were phosphatidylglycerols. Phosphatidylcholine, cardiolipin, and phosphatidic acid were found at a single location. Phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine was found with the major phosphatidylethanolamine. Three distinct classes of phospholipids are separable according to their relative fatty acid compositions. (i) The trace lipids consist of two phosphatidylethanolamines, two phosphatidylserines, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidic acid, and a phosphatidylglycerol. Each lipid represents less than 0.3% of the total lipid phosphate. These lipids are characterized by high proportions of the short (C(10) to C(14)) and long (C(19) to C(22)) fatty acids with practically no palmitoleic acid. (ii) The major phospholipids (93% of the lipid phosphate) are phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, and phosphatidylglycerol. These lipids contain a low proportion of the short (C(19)) fatty acids. Palmitic and palmitoleic acids represent over 80% of the total fatty acids. (iii) The fatty acid composition of the cardiolipin is intermediate between the other two classes. Both palmitoleic and the longer fatty acids represent a significant proportion of the total fatty acid.     

Lipids and fatty acids of a moderately halophilic bacterium, No. 101.

The extractable and bound lipids of a moderately halophilic gram-negative rod, strain No. 101 (wild type) grown in a medium containing 2 M NaC1, were examined. The extractable lipids were separated into at least 8 components by using thin-layer chromatography. The major phospholipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and an unidentified phosphoglycolipid in the whole cells, cell envelopes and outer membrane preparations, commonly. Judging from mild alkaline hydrolysis and exzymatic treatment with phospholipase A2, C and D, the unidentified phosphoglycolipid possessing Pi, glycerol, fatty acids and glucose in a molar ratio of 1 : 2 : 2 : 1, appeared likely to be a glucosyl derivative of phosphatidylglycerol. No glucuronic acid containing lipid was detected. The exractable lipid composition varied greatly with the concentrations of NaC1 in the medium and the stages of bacterial growth. The most characteristic phosphoglycolipid in this organism increased up to 25% of the total phospholipids with the addition of 1% glucose in the medium. The major fatty acids of the extractable lipids were C16:0, C16:1, C18:0, C18:1 and cyclopropanoic C17 and C19 acids and these compositions were very similar for each phospholipid. The cyclopropanoic fatty acids predominated as growth proceeded. The fatty acids of the bound lipids comprised a high concentration of 3-hydroxydodecanoic acid. The esterified fatty acids of the lipopolysaccharide molecule seemed to contain a wide variety of hydroxy and non-hydroxy shorter chain fatty acids, while the amide-linked fatty acids consisted almost entirely of 3-hydroxydodecanoic acid.     

Phospholipid composition of photosynthetic membranes of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata

The phospholipids and the fatty acids present in membranes of cells of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata, grown photosynthetically in anaerobiosis, were analyzed by thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The three phospholipids detected, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol, contained about 80% of a single monounsaturated C18 fatty acid, cis-vaccenic acid. These membranes offer therefore a naturally occurring model system endowed with an extremely simplified phospholipid complement. The data indicate moreover that the biosynthetic pathway of unsaturated fatty acids present in these facultative aerobic bacteria proceeds only via the 3-hydroxydecanoyl acyl carrier protein dehydratase (E.C. 4.2.1.60).     

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.     

Lipid metabolism in various regions of squid giant nerve fiber

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the incorporation of radioactivity from various precursors into lipids of different regions of squid giant nerve fiber systems including axoplasm, axon sheath, giant fiber lobes which contain stellate ganglion cell bodies, and the remaining ganglion including giant synapses. To identify the labeled lipids, stellate ganglia including giant fiber lobes and the remaining tissue were first incubated separately with [14C]glucose, [32P]phosphate, [14C]serine, [14C]acetate and [3H]myristate. The radioactivity from glucose, after conversion to glycerol and fatty acids, was incorporated into most lipids, including triacylglycerol, free fatty acids, cardiolipin, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, sphingomyelin and ceramide 2-aminoethylphosphanate [corrected]. The radioactivity from serine was largely incorporated into phosphatidylserine and, to a lesser extent, into other phospholipids, mainly as the base component. The sphingoid bases of ceramide and sphingomyelin were also significantly labeled. Saturated and monounsaturated and, to a lesser extent, polyunsaturated fatty acids of these lipids were synthesized from acetate, glucose and myristate. Among the major lipids, cholesterol was not labeled by any of the radioactive compounds used. Ganglion residues incorporated the most radioactivity in total lipids from either [14C]glucose or [14C]serine, followed by giant fiber lobes and then sheath. Axoplasm incorporated the least. Among various lipids, phosphatidylethanolamine with shorter saturated fatty acids and phosphatidylglycerol contained the most radioactivity from glucose in all regions. Axoplasm was characterized by a higher proportion of glucose radioactivity in ceramide, sphingomyelin and phosphatidylglycerol. Axoplasm and sheath contained a higher proportion of serine radioactivity than did the other two regions in ceramide. Essentially no radioactivity from [14C]galactose was incorporated in any region.     

Taxonomic implications of the chemical analysis of the D2 group of corynebacteria

Whole cell acid methanolysates from corynebacteria of the D2 group were found to contain meso-diaminopimelic acid, arabinose and galactose. Among lipids of taxonomic value, saturated and unsaturated straight chain fatty acids (14 to 18 carbon atoms), tuberculostearic acid (10-methyl octadecanoic acid) and mycolic acids were present. The last compounds ranged from 26 to 36 carbon atoms, the predominant types being 28.2, 28.1, 30.3, 30.2, 32.3 and 32.2. By reverse phase thin-layer chromatography the major menaquinone was identified as MK-9(H2)-containing nine isoprene units with two additional hydrogens. Moreover, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol mannosides were detected among the phospholipids of these bacteria. Thus, on these bases, the D2 group appears to be closely related to the true corynebacteria.     

The lipid composition of plasma membrane from goat mammary gland

Experiments were conducted to examine and characterize the lipid composition of the plasma membrane from the lactating goat mammary gland. The plasma membranes were purified by discontinuous sucrose density centrifugation. Lipids were extracted from these membranes and analyzed by thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography. The results of these studies demonstrate that (i) the principal phospholipids of mammary-gland plasma membranes are phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and sphingomyelin; (ii) the principal neutral lipids are triacylglyceride and cholesterol ester; (iii) the major glycolipids are globotetraosylceramide and globotriaosylceramide; and (iv) the major fatty acids are oleic (18:1), palmitic (16:0), stearic (18:0), and myristic (14:0) acids.     

Genomic and biochemical analysis of lipid biosynthesis in the unicellular rhodophyte Cyanidioschyzon merolae: lack of a plastidic desaturation pathway results in the coupled pathway of galactolipid synthesis

The acyl lipids making up the plastid membranes in plants and algae are highly enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids and are synthesized by two distinct pathways, known as the prokaryotic and eukaryotic pathways, which are located within the plastids and the endoplasmic reticulum, respectively. Here we report the results of biochemical as well as genomic analyses of lipids and fatty acids in the unicellular rhodophyte Cyanidioschyzon merolae. All of the glycerolipids usually found in photosynthetic algae were found, such as mono- and digalactosyl diacylglycerol, sulfolipid, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol. However, the fatty acid composition was extremely simple. Only palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids were found as major acids. In addition, 3-trans-hexadecanoic acid was found as a very minor component in phosphatidylglycerol. Unlike the case for most other photosynthetic eukaryotes, polyenoic fatty acids having three or more double bonds were not detected. These results suggest that polyunsaturated fatty acids are not necessary for photosynthesis in eukaryotes. Genomic analysis suggested that C. merolae lacks acyl lipid desaturases of cyanobacterial origin as well as stearoyl acyl carrier protein desaturase, both of which are major desaturases in plants and green algae. The results of labeling experiments with radioactive acetate showed that the desaturation leading to linoleic acid synthesis occurs on phosphatidylcholine located outside the plastids. Monogalactosyl diacylglycerol is therefore synthesized by the coupled pathway, using plastid-derived palmitic acid and endoplasmic reticulum-derived linoleic acid. These results highlight essential differences in lipid biosynthetic pathways between the red algae and the green lineage, which includes plants and green algae.     

Fatty Acid and Polar Lipid Composition in the Classification of Kurthia

Strains of Kurthia zopfii were degraded by acid methanolysis and the non-hydroxylated fatty acid esters so released were examined by gas liquid chromatography. The major fatty acid types were straight-chain, anteiso - and iso -methyl branched-chain acids. Monounsaturated fatty acids were not detected. The major fatty acid in five of the six strains examined consisted of 12-methyltetra-decanoic ( anteiso -C₁₅) acid. The other strain possessed major amounts of both 13-methyltetradecanoic ( iso -C₁₅) and anteiso -C₁₅ acids. Polar lipids of all the strains were examined by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. All possessed a very simple polar lipid composition consisting of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine.     

The effect of low oxygen concentration on the acyl-lipid and fatty-acid composition of the C4 plant Amaranthus paniculatus L.

Acyl lipids and their constituent fatty acids were studied in leaves, chloroplasts and bundle-sheath strands of the C₄ plant Amaranthus paniculatus L. grown under normal and 4%-oxygen-containing atmospheres. In all fractions the major lipids were found to be monogalactosyldiacylglycerol, digalactosyldiacylglycerol, sulphoquinovo-syldiacylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol. Significant quantities of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine were restricted to leaves and bundle-sheath strands. All lipids, except phosphatidylglycerol where 3-trans-hexadecenoic acid was also present, contained palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid. On a chlorophyll basis and compared with whole leaves, the amounts of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine in bundle-sheath strands were considerably reduced. Three weeks after the change from a normal to a 4% atmospheric O₂ level, the galactolipid content, particularly in the bundlesheath strands, was enhanced. There were no significant differences in the degrees of saturationunsaturation of total acyl lipid for the plants grown in the low oxygen and normal atmospheres, although under 4% O₂ the phosphatidylglycerol contained an increased proportion of 3-trans-hexadecenoic acid at the expense of palmitic acid.Abbreviations DGDG digalactosyldiacylglycerol - MGDG monogalactosyldiacylglycerol - PC phosphatidylcholine - PE phosphatidylethanolamine - PG phosphatidylglycerol - SQDG sulphquinovosyldiacylglycerol     

Cellular Lipid and Fatty Acid Compositions of Burkholderia pseudomallei Strains Isolated from Human and Environment in Viet Nam

Viet nam is known as an endemic area of melioidosis but its etiologic agent originated in Viet nam was not extensively studied. For the first time, we analyzed the cellular lipid and fatty acid compositions of 15 Vietnamese isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei, 10 from humans and 5 from the environment. Cellular lipid compositions were analyzed by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography on silica gel G plates. Cellular fatty acid methyl esters were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The major lipids in all the isolates were phosphatidylglycerol (PG), two forms of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE-1 and PE-2), and two forms of ornithine-containing lipid (OL-1 and OL-2). PE-1 contained non-hydroxy fatty acids at both sn-1 and ?2 positions, while PE-2 possessed 2-hydroxy fatty acids and non-hydroxy fatty acids in a ratio of 1: 1. Since snake venom phospholipase A₂ digestion of PE-2 liberated 2-hydroxy fatty acids, it was confirmed that these acids are at the sn-2 position of glycerol moiety. In both OL-1 and OL-2, amide-linked fatty acid was 3-hydroxy palmitic acid (3-OH-C16: 0), while ester-linked fatty acids were non-hydroxy acids in OL-1 and 2-hydroxy acids in OL-2. The total cellular fatty acid compositions of the test strains were characterized by the presence of 2-hydroxy palmitic (2-OH-C16: 0), 2-hydroxy hexadecenoic (2-OH-C16: 1), 2-hydroxy octadecenoic (2-OH-C18: 1), 2-hydroxy methylene octadecanoic (2-OH-C19CPA), 3-hydroxy myristic (3-OH-C14: 0) and 3-hydroxy palmitic (3-OH-C16: 0) acids. There were significant differences in the concentration of hexadecenoic (C16: 1), methylene hexadecanoic (C17CPA), octadecenoic (C18: 1) and methylene octadecanoic (C19CPA) acids among the Vietnamese isolates of B. pseudomallei. However, no significant difference was observed in cellular lipid and fatty acid components between strains of human and environmental origins.     

Polar lipids and fatty acids of three wild cyanobacterial strains of the genus<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chroococcidiopsis</Emphasis>

The occurrence of n-saturated, branched, and unsaturated fatty acids of 3 wild terrestrial strains of the genus Chroococcidiopsis (Order Chroococcales): C. supralittoralis, C. umbratilis, and C. versatilis collected from Lake Kinneret, Dead Sea, and Ein Kerem (Jerusalem) was investigated and individual compounds identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Polar lipids also were examined. Among polar lipids (studied using two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography) were as major glycolipids isolated: monogalactosyl-diacylglycerols, digalactosyl-diacylglycerols, 6-sulfoquinovosyl-diacylglycerols and phosphatidylglycerol. Nonphosphorus betaine-containing lipid, viz. N,N,N-trimethylhomoserin-4-O-yl-diacylglycerol, was found for the first time in cyanobacterial species.     

Phospholipids of Nocardia coeliaca

The lipids of Nocardia coeliaca were separated into at least 10 components by the use of thin-layer chromatography. Phosphatidylcholine was the most abundant phospholipid in this organism, accounting for 25 to 40% of the total phospholipids. The major fatty acid components of the phosphatidylcholine were 14-methyl-pentadecanoic acid (41%), the other C(15) and C(17) iso- and anteiso-fatty acids (29%), and palmitic acid (13.5%). The next most abundant phospholipid was phosphatidylethanolamine (25 to 30%), followed by phosphatidylinositol (11 to 14%) and cardiolipin (7 to 15%). Phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol were very similar to the phosphatidylcholine in fatty acid composition, whereas cardiolipin was characterized by a higher content of palmitic acid (30%). In all of the phospholipids examined, only trace amounts of monounsaturated fatty acids were present. When washed cells of N. coeliaca were incubated with methionine-methyl-(14)C for 1 to 3 hr, the radioactivity was mainly incorporated into the choline moiety of the phosphatidylcholine. In contrast, acetate-1-(14)C or glycerol-1-(14)C was incorporated much more slowly into the phosphatidylcholine than into the other phospholipids and neutral lipids. No phosphatidylcholine was detected in 10 other species of Nocardia examined.     

Effect of light on lipid composition of Ricinus cell cultures

The changes of lipid composition were determined in callus cultures from Ricinus communis endosperm upon transfer from darkness into light. Culture in light induced chlorophyll synthesis and formation of differentiated chloroplasts. In light-grown cultures the major lipid classes were phospho- and glycolipids, dark-grown cultures were rich in triacylglycerol. The major fatty acids were linolenic acid and palmitic acid in both cultures. In the green cultures linolenic acid was predominantly esterified in glycolipids whereas in the dark-grown cultures this fatty acid was the major component of phospholipids. Ricinoleic acid was not found.Abbreviations PC phosphatidylcholine - PE phosphatidylethanolamine - MGD monogalactosyldigylceride - DGD digalactosyldiglyceride - SE steryl esters - NL neutral lipids     

Phospholipids of Clostridium perfringens: a reexamination

We have identified phosphatidylethanolamine as one of the major phospholipids of Clostridium perfringens by two dimensional thin layer chromatography of the intact lipids and of their deacylation products and by liquid chromatography followed by mass spectrometry of the intact neutral phospholipid fraction. The principal fatty acids of phosphatidylethanolamine are myristic acid (14:0), lauric acid (12:0), and palmitic acid (16:0) and the major molecular species are 14:0,14:0 (26.3%); 12:0,14:0 (19.0%); 14:0,16:0 (22.4%) and 16:0,16:0 (17.6%). A similar distribution of molecular species was found in the other major phospholipid, O-alanyl phosphatidylglycerol.     

The effect of temperature on growth,indole alkaloid accumulation and lipid composition of Catharanthus roseus cell suspension cultures

Cell suspension cultures of Catharanthus roseus were used to study the effect of temperature on plant cell lipids and indole alkaloid accumulation. Lowering the cultivation temperature increased the total fatty acid content per cell dry weight relative to that at higher temperatures, mainly because of increased accumulation of unsaturated C18 acids. In addition, an increase in the relative proportion of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine was observed. Within individual lipids, the degree of unsaturation was increased and the mean fatty acid chain length decreased with reducing temperature. These changes may be interpreted as modifying the cell membrane fluidity to keep it optimal for growth and metabolism at each temperature. In spite of membrane modifications, the indole alkaloid content of the cells or the medium was not affected by temperature change.Abbreviations 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - PC phosphatidylcholine - PE phosphatidylethanolamine - PI phosphatidylinositol - PS phosphatidylserine - PG phosphatidylglycerol - CL cardiolipin - DGD digalactosyldiglyceride - MGD monogalactosyldiglyceride - NL neutral lipids - DU degree of fatty acid unsaturation - TLC thin-layer chromatography - FID-GC flame ionisation detector-gas chromatography - dw dry weight     

Lipids of isolated neurons

1. Lipids were extracted from neurons isolated from the lateral vestibular nucleus of ox (Bos taurus L.) and the ganglia of Aplysia punctata Cuvier. 2. Thin-layer chromatography of ox-neuron lipid revealed three major fractions corresponding to neutral lipid, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine. Part of the phosphatidylethanolamine was present as the plasmalogen. 3. Aplysia-neuron lipid contained neutral lipid, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine. Both phospholipids appeared to be present predominantly as the plasmalogen form. 4. The fatty acids of alkali-labile lipids of ox neurons were examined by gas–liquid chromatography. The major fatty acids were oleic acid, stearic acid and palmitic acid.     

Evidence for a Composite State of an F′his,gnd Element and a Cryptic Plasmid in a Derivative of Salmonella typhimurium LT2

The zoospores of Blastocladiella emersonii, when derived from cultures grown on solid media, contain about 11% total lipid. This lipid was separated chromatographically on silicic acid into neutral lipid (46.6%), glycolipid (15.8%), and phospholipid (37.6%). Each class was fractionated further on columns of silicic acid, Florisil, or diethylaminoethyl-cellulose, and monitored by thin-layer chromatography. Triglycerides were the major neutral lipids, mono- and diglycosyldiglycerides were the major glycolipids, and phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine were the major phospholipids. Other neutral lipids and phospholipids detected were: hydrocarbons, free fatty acids, free sterols, sterol esters, diglycerides, monoglycerides, lysophosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidylinositol. Palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, gamma-linolenic, and arachidonic acids were the most frequently occurring fatty acids. When B. emersonii was grown in (14)C-labeled liquid media, lipid again accounted for 11% of both mature plants and zoospores released from them. The composition of the lipid extracted from such plants and spores was also the same; however, it differed markedly from that of the lipid in spores harvested from solid media, consisting of 28.3% neutral lipid, 12.0% glycolipid, and 59.7% phospholipid. The major lipids were again triglycerides for neutral lipids, mono- and diglycosyldiglycerides for glycolipids, and phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidylethanolamine for phospholipids.     

Characteristic lipids of Bordetella pertussis: simple fatty acid composition, hydroxy fatty acids, and an ornithine-containing lipid.

The lipids and fatty acids of Bordetella pertussis (phases I to IV) were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry and compared with those of B. parapertussis and B. bronchiseptica. The major lipid components of the three species were phosphatidylethanolamine, cardiolipin, phosphatidylglycerol, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, and an ornithine-containing lipid. The ornithine-containing lipid was characteristic of the genus Bordetella. The fatty acid composition of the total extractable cellular lipids of B. pertussis was mostly hexadecanoic and hexadecenoic acids (90%) in a ratio of about 1:1. The hexadecenoic acid of B. pertussis was in the cis-9 form. The fatty acid composition of the residual bound lipids was distinctly different from that of the extractable lipids, and residual bound lipids being mainly 3-hydroxytetradecanoic, tetradecanoic, and 3-hydroxydecanoic acids, with 3-hydroxydodecanoic acid occurring in some strains. It was determined that the 3-hydroxy fatty acids were derived from lipid A. The fatty acid composition of the total extractable cellular lipids of B. parapertussis and B. bronchiseptica, mainly composed of hexadecanoic and heptadecacyclopropanoic acid, differed from that of B. pertussis. Although the fatty acid composition of the residual bound lipids of B. parapertussis was similar to that of the residual bound lipids of B. pertussis, 2-hydroxydodecanoic acid was detected only in the bound lipids of B. bronchiseptica.