Influence of culture medium of the fatty-acid profile in enteric bacteria

Enteric bacteria having a high content of cyclopropane fatty acids steeply increase their synthesis when grown on insufficiently propitious culture media (meat-peptone agar or modified Drobot'ko synthetic medium) as compared with bacteria grown under more favourable conditions (meat-peptone broth). Simultaneously, a decrease in monounsaturated fatty acids and increase in palmitic acid are observed. One of the main factors underlying the change in the proportion of fatty acids in bacteria grown on synthetic medium is an increase in medium pH in the process of their growth. Enteric bacteria containing minute amounts/or not containing cyclopropane fatty acids at all (under the experimental conditions used) change their fatty-acid profile little if the culture medium is changed. When grown under insufficiently favourable conditions, these bacteria mainly display an enhanced content of palmitic acid and a lowered content of octadacenoic acid as compared with bacteria grown under more favourable conditions. Of the culture media used, meat-peptone broth, which affords the most favourable conditions for eneteric bacteria growth, is the most suitable medium for obtaining data of taxonomic value.