[Lipids of the luminescent bacteria Photobacterium mandapamensis]

The composition of lipids was studied in the luminescent bacterium Photobacterium mandapamensis under the conditions of maximal luminescence. The synthesis of total lipids and poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid (PHBA) was investigated in dynamics under the conditions of batch cultivation. The major class of lipids was polar lipids (84.3%) represented by phospholipids (phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl glycerol, cardiolipin, lysocardiolipin, lysophosphatidyl ethanolamine) and a minor nonidentified phospholipid. The fraction of neutral lipids was represented mainly by free fatty acids (about 5%), tri- and diglycerides (in trace amounts), and two nonidentified classes, apparently, hydrocarbons and waxes. A correlation was established between the luminescence of the bacterium and the content of PHBA.