Effect of growth conditions on the fatty acid composition of<i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> and comparison with the fatty acids of<i>Erysipelothrix</i> and<i>Corynebacterium</i>

Abstract

Abstract Six strains of Listeria monocytogenes belonging to four different serotypes all had similar fatty acid profiles when grown at 37 C, with C 15 and C 17 branched chain acids as major components. The proportion of 17∶0 br decreased markedly as the growth temperature was lowered from 37 C to 4 C, and a reduction of 18∶1 with increasing age of cultures was observed in cells harvested at different stages of the growth curve. The fatty acid composition was also affected by the nature of the culture medium. Two other genera of the family Corynebacteriaceae were analyzed for fatty acid composition. Strains of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae isolated from human, turkey, dog and pig had rather similar patterns, consisting mainly of straight chain, even‐numbered fatty acids from C 10 to C 18 . The three species of Corynebacterum analyzed each had quite different fatty acid patterns. C. poinsettiae bore some resemblance to L. monocytogenes but C. pseudodiphtheriticum had much higher proportions of 16∶0 and 18∶1 and C. equi contained a rather complex mixture of fatty acids.