TAXONOMICALLY USEFUL TEST PROCEDURES PERTAINING TO BACTERIAL LIPOQUINONES AND ASSOCIATED FUNCTIONS, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO FLAVOBACTERIUM AND CYTOPHAGA

Abstract

The following phenomena related to the respiratory quinones of chemo-organotrophic bacteria are considered regarding their use by the microbiologist: (i) Types and concentrations of quinones present in the cells, (ii) reaction sites of quinones in the respiring membrane, (iii) changes in quinone contents with culture conditions, (iv) effect of fumarate on oxygen-limited growth, (v) electron transport rates in membrane particles with varied donors and acceptors, and (vi) quinone isoprenologs, and degree of unsaturation and branching of the terpenoid side chains. The taxonomic and diagnostic significance of such information is discussed for selected organisms, among them, collection strains representing some Flavobacterium and Cytophaga species.