This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zhu, K. Articles by Wilkinson, B. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zhu, K. Articles by Wilkinson, B. J. Agricola Articles by Zhu, K. Articles by Wilkinson, B. J.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, December 2005, p. 8002-8007, Vol. 71, No. 12
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.12.8002-8007.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Exogenous Isoleucine and Fatty Acid Shortening Ensure the High Content of Anteiso-C_15:0 Fatty Acid Required for Low-Temperature Growth of Listeria monocytogenes

Kun Zhu, Xiang Ding, Mudcharee Julotok, and Brian J. Wilkinson^*

Department of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790-4120

Received 14 February 2005/ Accepted 13 August 2005

Previous studies have demonstrated that the branched-chain fatty acid anteiso-C_15:0 plays a critical role in the growth of Listeria monocytogenes at low temperatures by ensuring sufficient membrane fluidity. Studies utilizing a chemically defined minimal medium revealed that the anteiso fatty acid precursor isoleucine largely determined the fatty acid profile and fatty acid response of the organism to lowered growth temperature. When isoleucine was sufficient, the fatty acid profile was very uniform, with anteiso fatty acids comprising up to 95% of total fatty acid, and the major fatty acid adjustment to low temperature was fatty acid chain shortening, which resulted in an increase of anteiso-C_15:0 solely at the expense of anteiso-C_17:0. When isoleucine was not supplied, the fatty acid profile became more complex and was readily modified by leucine, which resulted in a significant increase of corresponding iso fatty acids and an inability to grow at 10°C. Under this condition, the increase of anteiso-C_15:0 at low temperature resulted from the combined effect of increasing the anteiso:iso ratio and chain shortening. A branched-chain -keto acid dehydrogenase-defective strain largely lost the ability to increase the anteiso:iso ratio. Cerulenin, an inhibitor of ß-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase (FabF), induced a similar fatty acid chain shortening as low temperature did. We propose that the anteiso precursor preferences of enzymes in the branched-chain fatty acid biosynthesis pathway ensure a high production of anteiso fatty acids, and cold-regulated chain shortening results in a further increase of anteiso-C_15:0 at the expense of anteiso-C_17:0.

Present address: Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Mastronicolis, S. K., Arvanitis, N., Karaliota, A., Magiatis, P., Heropoulos, G., Litos, C., Moustaka, H., Tsakirakis, A., Paramera, E., Papastavrou, P. (2008). Coordinated Regulation of Cold-Induced Changes in Fatty Acids with Cardiolipin and Phosphatidylglycerol Composition among Phospholipid Species for the Food Pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 4543-4549 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ozcan, N., Ejsing, C. S., Shevchenko, A., Lipski, A., Morbach, S., Kramer, R. (2007). Osmolality, Temperature, and Membrane Lipid Composition Modulate the Activity of Betaine Transporter BetP in Corynebacterium glutamicum. J. Bacteriol. 189: 7485-7496 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Giotis, E. S., McDowell, D. A., Blair, I. S., Wilkinson, B. J. (2007). Role of Branched-Chain Fatty Acids in pH Stress Tolerance in Listeria monocytogenes. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 997-1001 [Abstract] [Full Text]