Turnover of phospholipids and glycerides of spheroplasts of Mycobacterium smegmatis ATCC 14468.

The breakdown and renewal of phospholipids and glycerides from spheroplasts of Mycobacterium smegmatis ATCC 14468 were studied by means of pulse labelling techniques using 1-14C-palmitate. Most of the radioactivity incorporated into total lipids was recovered from phospholipids. Among the phospholipids studied, cardiolipin had the highest radioactivity and specific activity, suggesting its higher pool size as compared to other fractions. The appreciable loss of radioactivity for cardiolipin in pulse chase experiments within growing cells suggests its metabolically active and dynamic nature. Glycerides exhibited no appreciable turnover rates.