The Mollicutes
Are the Class of Gram-positive bacteria that the mycoplasmas fall under. They are categorized by their degenerative evolution, which distinguishes them from taxonomic markers like gram stains. This is because they have no cell wall. But they still have very interesting cell membranes.
Cholesterols
Their importance in mollicutes
Cholesterols are a valuable and necessary structural chemical for the mollicutes because of the membrane rigidity it provides for an organism without a cell wall.
Provided the chemical has a sterol ring, the Mollicute can make use of it. This dependence is unlike any other prokaryote, and is therefore of significant taxonomic importance.
Fatty acids
Membrane concentrations
Changing the fatty acids in the media for growth of Mollicutes affects the constituents found in the membrane of the cell. This is because the Mycoplasmas can't restructure the lipids that it uptakes, so it works with what it has surrounding it.
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A subset of lipids that are polar exhibit properties allowing for the binding of mycoplasmas to a host cell, which we discuss here. And these lipids from the environment allow the pathogen to camouflage better from immune cells.
Citations
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