Fatty Acids in Temperature Adaptation of Mesophilic Bacteria, Yeasts and Fungi

摘要

In the microbial temperature adaptation, the changes occurring in the fatty acidsof the membrane phospholipids have been regarded as one of the most fundamental responses for the maintenance of the liquid-chrystalline state. The study on the fatty acid interchanges within a growth temperature range from 10 to 40 C in nine bacteria, five yeasts, and four fungi revealed even more complicated effects of temperature on the fatty acid compositions than previously known. In most of the microbes, different fatty acid interchanges occurred above and below a fixed temperature or temperature range, which normally fell within 15-30 C. Consequently, depending on the microbe and growth temperature range considered, fatty acid unsaturation, chain length, branching, cyclization, and the cellular fatty acid content were changed, either each alone or together. In addition, a number of unsaturated fatty acids were found for the first time as essential components in several bacteria.