DOI: 10.1002/lipd.70090 ISSN: 0024-4201
Growth Conditions Shape the Fatty Acid Composition of
Pedobacter lusitanus
NL19
Sandra Gamelas, Gonçalo Figueiredo, Tiago Sousa, Felisa Rey, M. Rosário Domingues, Sónia Mendo ABSTRACT
Pedobacter lusitanus
NL19 is a Gram‐negative bacterium recognized for its potential to produce various antimicrobial metabolites, including lipids. However, how growth conditions regulate this production capability remains poorly understood. Like other bacteria,
P. lusitanus
NL19 adapts its membrane fatty acid (FA) composition in response to environmental conditions, a process that appears closely linked to its antimicrobial activity. In this study, we used GC–MS to identify and quantify FA, using alkaline transmethylation to produce FAME from esterified FA, and to track how different culture media (M9, R2A‐B, PC25, and TSB) drive membrane FA remodeling in
P. lusitanus
NL19. The results revealed that cultivation in media associated previously with antimicrobial activity triggered an increase in monounsaturated and hydroxylated FA, in contrast to the saturated profiles observed under nutrient‐rich conditions. This metabolic flexibility highlights an interplay between nutrient availability and membrane composition. Further research should evaluate whether FA provision triggers the release or excretion of bioactive secondary metabolites. Ultimately, this research advances our understanding of how environmental factors regulate lipid biosynthesis in
P. lusitanus
NL19.