title: Spore germination in Mortierella alpina is associated with a transient depletion of arachidonic acid and induction of fatty acid desaturase gene expression.
abstract: Mortierella alpina is an oleaginous filamentous fungus whose vegetative mycelium is known to accumulate triglyceride oil containing large amounts of arachidonic acid (ARA 20:4, n - 6). We report that the spores of Mortierella alpina also contain a large proportion of ARA, comprising 50% of total fatty acid. Fatty acid desaturase genes were not expressed in dormant spores but were induced during germination, following a significant drop in the level of ARA (down from 50% of total fatty acid to 12%) prior to germ-tube emergence. We propose that ARA serves as a reserve supply of carbon and energy that is utilised during the early stages of spore germination in Mortierella alpina.
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lounds
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eagles
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: MacKenzie
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Archer
mesh_terms: D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020094:Mortierella / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D012331:RNA, Fungal; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases