TAXONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE POSITION OF DOUBLE BONDS OF UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS IN CORYNEBACTERIA

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The positions of double bonds in cellular monounsaturated fatty acids isolated from six representative strains of corynebacteria were determined by mass fragmentography. Hexadecenoic acid from Corynebacterium glutamicum CNF 016 and Brevibacterium ammoniagenes CNF 096 was principally the Δ⁷ isomer, while octadecenoic acid from these organisms was the Δ⁹ isomer. The monounsaturated fatty acids in Corynebacterium diphtheriae CNF 017 and Corynebacterium xerosis CNF 010 consisted mainly of the Δ⁹ isomers. In Corynebacterium equi CNF 002 and Corynebacterium fascians CNF 006, hexadecenoic acid was a mixture of Δ⁹ and Δ¹⁰ isomers, while octadecenoic acid was composed principally of the Δ⁹ isomer. The results suggest that the profiles of double bond location in unsaturated fatty acids are very useful for the taxonomic characterization of corynebacteria.