title: The lipids of the rumen fungus Piromonas communis.
abstract: The major phospholipids of the anaerobic rumen phycomycete Piromonas communis were phosphatidylethanolamine (38%), phosphatidylcholine (26%) and phosphatidylinositol (13%); no sphingolipids, glycolipids, plasmalogens or phosphonyl lipids were detected. Free fatty acids, triacylglycerols, 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 to 24 carbon, saturated acids, the remainder being even 16 to 24 carbon, mono-unsaturated fatty acids. The double bonds in all except the 16 carbon 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 phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine, but was not detected in phosphatidylcholine.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004952:Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis; D005658:Fungi / Q000032:analysis*; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis; D012417:Rumen / Q000382:microbiology*; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D004952:Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008055:Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids