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, hosphatidylethanolamine, phosphaditylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidic acid. Limited supply of glycerol to the mutant did not greatly alter the proportions of the individual phospholipids.