COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF FATTY ACID SYNTHASES OF CORYNEBACTERIA

Abstract

Fatty acid synthases were isolated from six representative strains of corynebacteria and their properties were investigated. All synthases were multifunctional proteins (type I synthase). Fatty acid synthases of Corynebacterium glutamicum CNF 016 and Brevibacterium ammonia-genes CNF 096 produced not only saturated fatty acids (palmitic and stearic acids) but also oleic acid. On the other hand, synthases of Corynebacterium diphtheriae CNF 017, Corynebacterium xerosis CNF 010, Corynebacterium equi CNF 002, and Corynebacterium fascians CNF 006 synthesized exclusively saturated fatty acids. The Km values for acetyl-CoA of the enzymes from Corynebacterium glutamicum CNF 016, Brevibacterium ammoniagenes CNF 096, Corynebacterium diphtheriae CNF 017, Corynebacterium xerosis CNF 010, Corynebacterium equi CNF 002 and Corynebacterium fascians CNF 006 were 1.3μM, 11μM, 24μM, 80μM, 53μM and 220μM, respectively. There were almost no differences among the six strains of corynebacteria in the K_m values of other substrates. The results suggest that the properties of fatty acid synthase are useful for the taxonomic characterization of corynebacteria.