Isolation of lipoteichoic acids from Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and deacylated lipoteichoic acid have been isolated from the bovine-rumen Gram-negative anaerobe Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens by phenol extraction. Lipoteichoic acid (21.8 mumol phosphorus/g cells) consisted of a conventional 1, 3-phosphodiester-linked chain of glycerol phosphate units joined covalently to a glycolipid. It was not substituted with glycosyl or D-alalyl ester groups. Deacylated lipoteichoic acid (57.5 mumol phosphorus/g cells) was similar in constitution but lacked fatty acid esters. Lipoteichoic acid reacted serologically with antisera to the glycerol phosphate backbone of known lipoteichoic acids. The presence of similar teichoic acid polymers has also been demonstrated in some other strains of B. fibrisolvens and this is of significance in demonstrating that teichoic acids can occur in Gram-negative bacteria.