The chemical composition of the membranes of protoplasts and L-forms of Staphylococcus aureus.

Membrane fractions were prepared from Staphylococcus aureus H and 100 after dissolution of the cell walls by a lytic enzyme from Streptomyces griseus. Membranes were also prepared from the L-forms derived from the same strains. The membranes were analysed for protein, lipid, carbohydrate and RNA contents, and the fatty acid composition of the lipids was determined. A branched-chain saturated C(15) acid was the major component in all samples, and the correspondence between L-forms and parent bacteria was fairly close. The lipids were separated into non-polar-lipid, glycolipid and phospholipid fractions; the L-forms contained a little more neutral lipid and much more glycolipid than the parent bacteria. In all membranes the glycolipid, which accounted for all the carbohydrate present, was a diglucosyl diglyceride. The major phospholipids of the protoplast membranes were phosphatidylglycerol and some lipoamino acids (lysine and a little alanine). On the other hand, diphosphatidylglycerol was the chief phospholipid found in L-form membranes.