The 23 representative bacteria were studied for the glucosamine contents which represent the glycolipid content of the cell wall. The distribution of glycolipid in various bacteria was examined and the relationship between the glycolipid contents and the Gram stain was elucidated. The results were as follows:
1. The contents of glucosamine in the glycolipid of Gram negative and variable bacterial cell wall were large ranging from the least 0.04 ㎍ of Proteus vulgaris to the largest 2.48 ㎍ of Aerobacter aerogenes. The Gram positive bacteria and only those Gram positive among Bacilli contained less than 0.02 ㎍ of glucosamine contents. The least gtucosamine containing Gram positive bacteria were Corynebacterium sepedonicum and Staphylococcus aureus. It could generally be said that the Gram negative and variable bacteria contain the higher content of glucosamine in the cell wall than the positives.
2. The bacteria were better stained by the Cram solution after the extraction of glycolipid from the cell wall than those without extraction:
3. The four infrared spectra of glycolipids obtained from Aerobacter aerogenes, Bacillus circulans, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Salmonella typhirurium showed all the similar characteristics. All showed the existence of groups; OH, C-O, C-O-C, CH₂+CH₃, amide band, fatty acid ester band and ester carbonyl bond.
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