Two novel iso-branched octadecenoic acids from a Micrococcus species

The novel fatty acids 16-methyl-6(Z)-heptadecenoic acid and 16-methyl-8(Z)-heptadecenoic acid were identified for the first time in nature in a species of the bacterium Micrococcus isolated from Lake Pomorie in Bulgaria. The principal fatty acids in this bacterium were a series of iso-anteiso fatty acids with chain lengths between C 14 and C 24 , while the most interesting series of monounsaturated fatty acids was a family of Δ 6 fatty acids with chain lengths between C 14 and C 17 . The novel compounds were characterized using a combination of GC-MS and chemical transformations, such as dimethyl disulfide derivatization and catalytic hydrogenation. The results established for the first time a bacterial origin for some of these Δ 6 fatty acids.