STUDIES CONCERNING THE PRODUCTION OF LACTOBACILLI ACID IN

This study is concerned with certain factors affecting the content of lactobacillic acid (cis-ll,12-methyleneocta-decanoic acid) in Lactobacillus plantarum (ATCC 8014). Lacto-bacillic acid is one of several cyclopropane fatty acids which have been found in a variety of bacterial species. Although these fatty acids may occur in the membrane in rather high concentrations, no satisfactory explanation of their function has been proposed to date. Three main areas of investigation are reported herein. The effects of both the oxygen tension and the pH of the cul-ture medium on the accumulation of lactobacillic acid were determined. In addition, monolayer studies were conducted to determine the influence of cyclopropane fatty acid content on the molecular packing of membrane lipids.-The content of lactobacillic acid in bacterial sample