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Composition and biosynthesis of sterols in selected marine phytoplankton

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Lipids

Abstract

Six species of phytoplankton,Pseudoisochrysis paradoxa, Isochrysis galbana, Monochrysis lutheri, Platymonas suecica, Thalassiosira fluviatilis and aChaetoceros species, were cultured in the laboratory and their sterol contents analyzed utilizing digitonin precipitation, thin layer and gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 7 sterols were found in phytoplankton. The occurrence of these sterols, cholest-5-en-3β-ol, cholest-5,22-dien-3β-ol, 24-methylcholesta-5,24(28)-dien-3β-ol, 24-methylcholest-5-en-3β-ol, 24-methylcholesta-5,22-dien-3β-ol, 24-ethylcholest-5-en-3β-ol and 24-ethylcholest-5,22-dien-3β-ol, differed significantly among the various phytoplankton species. Cultures ofP. paradoxa biosynthesized both of the sterols found in this species when incubated in the presence of14C- or3H-mevalonic acid for 0.5–9 days. These sterols were cholesterol and 24-methylcholesta-5,22-dien-3β-ol. Since 5 of the sterols found in the phytoplankton commonly occur in mollusks which feed on phytoplankton, it is likely that at least some of the tissue sterols in mollusks are of dietary origin.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Richard S. Caldwell

    Present address: Marine Research Laboratory, Northwestern Aquatic Sciences, Inc., PO Box 1437, 97365, Newport, OR

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Clinical Nutrition-Lipid Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Oregon Health Sciences University, 97201, Portland, OR

    Don S. Lin, Ajmal M. Ilias & William E. Connor

  2. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Marine Science Center, 97365, Newport, OR

    Richard S. Caldwell

  3. Department of Chemistry and Biochemical Sciences, Oregon Graduate Center, 97006, Beaverton, OR

    H. Therese Cory & G. Doyle Daves Jr.

Authors
  1. Don S. Lin
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  2. Ajmal M. Ilias
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  3. William E. Connor
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  4. Richard S. Caldwell
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  5. H. Therese Cory
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  6. G. Doyle Daves Jr.
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Additional information

Research trainee, HL 07295-02, National Heart, Lung and Blood Insitute.

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Lin, D.S., Ilias, A.M., Connor, W.E. et al. Composition and biosynthesis of sterols in selected marine phytoplankton. Lipids 17, 818–824 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02535359

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02535359

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