Rapid identification of 4-hydroxy-2-alkylquinolines produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa using gas...

The 4-hydroxy-2-alkylquinolines and their N-oxides are secondary metabolites produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa which inhibit the growth of a number of Gram-positive organisms including Staphylococcus aureus. To facilitate the identification of these compounds in biological fluids, we have developed a rapid profiling system based on gas chromatography-electron-capture mass spectrometry of the O-bistrifluoromethylbenzoyl derivatives. Using the technique, over twenty hydroxyalkylquinolines have been identified from a culture obtained from a strain of P. aeruginosa obtained from a patient with severe bronchiectasis.