The Lipids of the Rumen Fungus Piromonas communis

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Abstract
The major phospholipids of the anaerobic rumen phycomycete P. communis were phosphatidylethanolamine (38%), phosphatidylcholine (26%) and phosphoatidylinositol (13%); no sphingolipids, glycolipids, plasmalogens or phosphonyl lipids were detected. Free fatty acids, triacyglycerols, 1:2 diacylglycerols and a variable amount of 1:3 diacylglycerol were identified, as were minor amounts of squalene and a triterpenol which is probably tetrahymanol. Approximately half the fatty acids were straight chain, even 12-24 C, saturated acids, the remainder being even 16-24 C, mono-unsaturated fatty acids. The double bonds in all except the 16 C acid were in the .omega.9 position. The unsaturation is introduced by a .DELTA.9 desaturase which uses stearic acid as substrate and which does not use oxygen as a terminal electron acceptor. 14C from acetate and glucose was incorporated into the fatty acids of all complex lipids, as were lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic and oleic acids. [14C]Choline was incorporated into phosphatidylcholine and [14C]ethanolamine into phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. Label from [14C]serine was recovered in phospohatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine, but was not detected in phosphatidylcholine.
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