Abstract
The effect of aerobic and oxygen limiting (anaerobic) growth conditions upon the fatty acid and lipid composition ofMucor rouxii has been examined. The aerobic cells contained a range of fatty acids typical of phycomycetes, i.e. γ-linolenic acid, with an unsaturation index of 1.20, whereas the anerobic cells contained relatively high levels of shorter chained fatty acids and very low concentrations of unsaturated acids (unsaturation index=0.025). The unsaturated compounds were monoolefinic tetra-, hexa-, and octadecenoic acids; and closer examination of their di-trimethylsilyl derivatives by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry showed that all three acids contained the double bond in the Δ9 position. These results were consistent with a microaerobic biosynthetic pathway. In addition, there were major quantitative differences in the lipid composition of the two types of cells; and it was evident that the differences in growth environment markedly affected the cellular lipid and fatty acid compositions.
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Issue as NRCC No. 13935.
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Safe, S., Duncan, J. Effect of oxygen levels on the fatty acids and lipids ofMucor rouxii . Lipids 9, 285–289 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02532207
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02532207