Vitamin content of purified typhus Rickettsiae, tobacco mosaic virus, and coliphage T6

Studies on the physiology of Rickettsiae. IV. Folic acids of Coxiella burnetii

Mattheis, Martha S. (University of Kansas, Lawrence), M. Silverman, and D. Paretsky. Studies on the physiology of rickettsiae. IV. Folic acids of Coxiella burnetii. J. Bacteriol. 85:37-41. 1963.-Yolk, yolk sac, and embryo tissues of uninfected eggs, and those infected with Coxiella burnetii, were analyzed for folic acid derivatives by employing diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-cellulose column chromatography. Infected tissues contained quantitatively less folate, but the elution profiles of both infected and uninfected tissues were identical. Purified C. burnetii contained some types of folate apparently unique to these rickettsiae, and not found in infected tissue. The major folate fraction of C. burnetii was partially characterized by (i) elution position from DEAE columns; (ii) treatment with conjugase; (iii) growth response by Lactobacillus casei, Streptococcus faecalis R, and Pediococcus cerevisiae; and (iv) response to oxidation, reduction, and formylation.

Synthesis of serine by Coxiella burnetii

Myers, W. F. (University of Kansas, Lawrence) and D. Paretsky. Synthesis of serine by Coxiella burnetii. J. Bacteriol. 82:761-763. 1961.-Enzyme preparations from suspensions of purified Coxiella burnetii are capable of synthesizing serine from formaldehyde and glycine-2-C(14) in the presence of tetrahydrofolic acid. Evidence for the reaction is obtained by isolating and identifying radioactive serine and serine derivatives. The data suggest a role for folic acid in these rickettsiae, and extend the knowledge of host-independent biosynthetic competencies of these highly parasitic microorganisms.