384 BACTERIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 



been found among the products of the action of enzymes 

 from Staph, alhus on glucose. That one of these views 



of the production of fats is probably correct is supported 

 by the fact that fixation of acetaldehyde with sulphite 

 or dimedon causes a lowering of the fat yield, and also 

 that the fatty acids found in bacteria and yeasts all 

 contain chains with an even number of carbon atoms 

 (corresponding to the building up of the chain by addition 

 of the two carbon atoms of acetaldehyde at a time) ; 

 moreover, nearly all the shorter fatty acids from butyric 

 up to arachidic acid are known to occur in micro- 

 organisms. It is interesting, and perhaps significant, 

 to note that this synthesis passes through the j8-hydroxy- 

 aldehydes, whilst the degradation of fats in the animal 

 body proceeds through the jS-hydroxy-acids, carbon 

 atoms being split off two at a time. 



The formation of fats from such substrates as alcohol 

 probably also proceeds through acetaldehyde as inter- 

 mediate, the aldehyde being produced by oxidation, or 

 via a reserve carbohydrate. 



For further reading : — 



R. J. Anderson : 



(a) " The Separation of Lipoid Fractions from Tubercle Bacilli.'* 



J. Biol. Chem., 74 (1927), 525. 

 (6) " The Phosphatide Fraction of Tubercle Bacilli." J. Biol Chem., 

 74 (1927), 537 



(c) " The Chemistry of the Lipoids of the Tubercle Bacilli." Physiol. 



Reviews, 12 (1932), 166. 



[d) " Structural Peculiarities of Acid Fast Bacterial Lipides." Chem- 



Rev., 29 (1941), 225. 



R. E. Buchanan and E. I. Fulmer, " The Physiology and Biochemistry of 

 Bacteria," Vol. I, Chapter III. Bailliere, Tindall & Cox. London, 

 1928. 



