Comparative Fatty Acid Profiling of <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> and <i>Rhodococcus rhodochrous</i> Isolated from Spoilt Paints by Gas Chromatography

Abstract

The use of fatty acids to study the differences in un-related microbes is limited. This study analyzes the fatty acids produced by two unrelated microorganisms: Klebsiella pneumoniae (Gram-negative, aerobic, non-endospore forming, usually encapsulated rod-shaped bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae) and Rhodococcus rhodochrous (metabolically versatile, non-spore-forming, non-motile actinomycete) isolated from spoilt paints. Fatty acids produced by the organisms were analyzed using an efficient MIDI-Sherlock gas chromatography method . K. pneumoniae was characterized by a high content of straight chain, branched chain, hydroxyl and cyclo-fatty acids made up of C12: 0, C13:0, C14:0 iso, C14:0, C15:0 iso, C15:0 anteiso, C15:1 ω 8c, C15:0, C16:0 iso, C16:1w5c, C16:0, C15:03OH, C17:1 ω 8c, C17:0 cyclo, C17:0, C18:1 ω5c and C18:0. R. rhodochrous was dominated by straight chain, monounsaturated and 10-methyl fatty acids. The inability to synthesize branched, cyclo- and hydroxyl- fatty acids, was observed in R. rhodochrous which composed mainly of C14: 0, C15: 1 ω 5c, C15:0, C16:1 ω 9c, C16:0, C17:1 ω 8c, C17:0, C17:0 10-methyl, C18: 1 ω 9c, C18.0, 10 methyl-C_18:0 TBSA, C20:1 ω 9c, and C20:0. Descriptive statistics reveal a mean of 2.53, 15.10 and 15.15 for retention time (RT), equivalent chain length (ECL) and Peak name, respectively. Possible implications of the variations in fatty acid distribution may include differences in their abilities to produce various secondary metabolites and potentials to degrade a variety of xenobiotics.

Keywords: Fatty acids, paints, Rhodococcus rhodochrous, Klebsiella pneumoniae