Ubiquinone and vitamin K in bacteria

Abstract

Sixteen species of bacteria have been examined for their content of vitamin K and ubiquinone. Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris contain both ubiquinone (-40) and vitamin K2 (-40). Seven other gram-negative bacteria contain ubiquinone but not vitamin K. None of the gram-positive organisms examined contains ubiquinone. Vitamin K2 was found in 5 types, but it was not in Lactobacillus casei, Clostridium sporogenes, anaero-bically cultured Staphylococcus albus or in Bacillus subtilis spores. No long-chain polyisoprenoid alcohols were detected in Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris or Pasteurella pseudotuberculosis. The last-named yielded a compound tentatively identified as a long-chain saturated alcohol.