Chemical Analysis of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>:I. Carotenoid Pigments of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>

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Description

A crude lipochrome with straw-color was extracted with ethanol/ethyl ether from Sta-phylococcus aureus No. 90 which was isolated from a pathogenic origin. This lipochrome has absorption maxima at 355, 362, 379, and 395mμ in ethyl ether.<br> Alumina column chromatography, follow-ed by saponification, resulted in a pigment which showed a single but asymmetric absorp-tion curve (λmax.: 353mμ in petroleum ether). By means of column chromatography on mag-nesia/Hyflo Super Cel, the saponified pig-ment was separated into two components: one is major and another is a minor com-ponent which is a mixture of -OH-containing and free pigments. However, these three pig-ments, hydrocarbons, were indistinguishable from each other either by paper chromato-graphy or by color reactions.<br> The major component shows a sharp ultraviolet absorption spectrum (λmax.: 308mμ) in chloroform solution and also gave a typical positive color reaction for carotene.<br> As the result of the chemical and spectro-scopical observations, this pigment is con-sidered to be a slightly straw-colored polyene, probably be phytofluene, which might be an intermediate in the carotenogenesis pathway in this strain.<br> A probability for accumulation of this pigment in this strain was discussed.<br> The author is indebted to Dr. A. Kaneko, Department of Pharmacy, Hokkaido University School of Medicine for his kind measurements of the infrared spectra.

Journal

  • J Biochem (Tokyo)

    J Biochem (Tokyo) 55 (3), 225-230, 1964

    The Japanese Biochemical Society

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