Fatty acids as resource of carbon for leptospirae.

The effect of saturated (palmitic, stearic, myristic) and unsaturated (oleic) fatty acids on the proliferation of Leptospirae was studied. Proliferation of the saprophytic strains G-45, K-1028 (serovar not identified) and of the pathogenic strain VGNKI-3 (serovar canicola) of Leptospirae was obtained on a serum-free medium with the addition of saturated fatty acids. The unsaturated oleic acid at relatively high concentrations (0.5 mg/ml) suppresses proliferation of these spirochetes. It has been demonstrated that the variants used in the experiment can be utilized for the study of nutritional requirements of Leptospirae and their metabolism.