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Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Collection, Isolation and Enrichment of Naturally Occurring Magnetotactic Bacteria from the Environment
Published on: November 15, 2012
The outer membrane glycolipids of bacteria from cold environments: isolation, characterization, and biological
Angela Casillo1, Ermenegilda Parrilli1, Maria Luisa Tutino1
1Department of Chemical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, via Cintia, 80126 Naples, Italy.
Abstract:
Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) are the main components of the external leaflet of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Microorganisms that colonize permanently or transiently cold habitats have evolved an array of structural adaptations, some of which involve components of bacterial membranes. These adaptations assure the perfect functionality of the membrane even at freezing or sub-freezing growth temperatures. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art information concerning the structural features of the LPSs produced by cold-adapted bacteria. The LPS structure has recently been elucidated from species mainly belonging to Gammaproteobacteria and Flavobacteriaceae. Although the reported structural heterogeneity may arise from the phylogenetic diversity of the analyzed source strains, some generalized trends can be deduced. For instance, it is clear that only a small portion of LPSs displays the O-chain. In addition, the biological activity of the lipid A portion from several cold-adapted strains is reported.
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