Lipids in bacterial taxonomy - a taxonomist's view.

AbstractWritten from a taxonomist's point of view and aimed primarily at other taxonomists, this review covers the types of lipids found in bacteria and actinomycetes, especially those reported in the recent literature, including fatty acids; glycerides; phospholipids; glycolipids; and amino acid-containing lipids including peptidolipids, peptidoglycolipids, sulfolipids, hydrocarbons, and waxes, and discusses their potential in taxonomy. Included are a survey of the recent findings on the stability of bacterial lipid patterns in terms of the effect of medium constituents and physical parameters of growth, age, and other factors and a short section on preferred methods of extraction, purification, and analysis.