[Chemotaxonomy of gram-positive bacteria metabolizing beta-caryophyllene].

Chemotaxonomic identification of coryneform bacteria metabolizing b-caryophyllene was attempted. The following phospholipids were identified as main components of the bacterial extracts: cardiolipids, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and mannosides of phosphatidylinositol. Saponification of the lipid extracts gave a mixture of hydroxylated and nonhydroxylated fatty acids. Among the latter, oleic and tuberculostearic acids were identified. The hydroxylated fatty acids were analysed by thin-layer chromatography and mass spectrometry (as methyl esters). From the results thus obtained, the strains appeared to be more closely related to the genus Rhodococcus than to the genus Nocardia.