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Lipids and ultrastructure of Thraustochytrium sp. ATCC 26185

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Lipids

Abstract

As a representative of a genus with species considered to be potential commercial producers of the nutritionally important polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), Thraustochytrium sp. ATCC 26185 was investigated to determine its potential for DHA production and lipid composition. Cells from liquid shake cultures contained 32% (w/w) lipid, 18% of which was nonsaponifiable lipid. The major saturated fatty acids (14∶0 and 16∶0) comprised up to 59% of the total fatty acids, and DHA was up to 25% after 6 d incubation. Squalene represented 63% of the nonsaponifiable lipid, and cholesterol composed 41% of the total sterols. The phospholipids expected for eucaryotic microbes were detected with phosphatidylcholine as the major phospholipid at 76% of the total. The ultrastructure of this species was similar to other Thraustochytrium species except that the cells did not have surface scales and they contained unusual membrane-like structures that appeared to be associated with oil formation.

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Abbreviations

DHA:

docosahexaenoic acid

FAME:

fatty acid methyl esters

GLC:

gas-liquid chromatography

MS:

mass spectrometry

31P NMR:

pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance

PC:

phosphatidylcholine

PE:

phosphatidylethanolamine

PUFA:

polyunsaturated fatty acids

TLC:

thin-layer chromatography

TMS:

trimethylsilyl

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany and Microbiology, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn University, 36849, Auburn, Alabama

    J. D. Weete, H. Kim, S. R. Gandhi, Y. Wang & R. Dute

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  1. J. D. Weete
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  2. H. Kim
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  3. S. R. Gandhi
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  4. Y. Wang
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  5. R. Dute
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Correspondence to J. D. Weete.

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Weete, J.D., Kim, H., Gandhi, S.R. et al. Lipids and ultrastructure of Thraustochytrium sp. ATCC 26185. Lipids 32, 839–845 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-997-0107-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-997-0107-z

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