INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE PRODUCTION OF LIPIDS BY SUBMERGED CULTURES OF THE MUSHROOM TRICHOLOMA NUDUM: I. FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF NEUTRAL LIPIDS AND PHOSPHOLIPIDS AS A FUNCTION OF TIME

The production of neutral lipids and phospholipids by submerged cultures of the mushroom Tricholoma nudum, as well as the fatty acid composition of these two fractions, was studied as a function of time. The bulk of the neutral lipids was produced after 2 days when the organism appeared to be in a non-proliferative phase. The major fatty acids of the neutral lipids were palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acid (23–35% each); stearic acid was a minor component (8–13%); myristic, palmitoleic, and linolenic acid were present in small amounts (0.5–4.8%). The major fatty acid of the phospholipids was linoleic acid (55–70%); palmitic (15–19%), stearic (1.8–4.6%), and oleic (7–19%) acid were minor components; myristic, palmitoleic, and linolenic (0–2.3%) were present in small amounts. Linolenic acid was a major fatty acid (26–30%) only in the early stages of growth.A preliminary investigation was carried out with a 4-day-old culture to establish the identity of the various components of the neutral lipids and phospholipids. The neutral lipids were mainly triglycerides (92%). Small amounts of ergosterol esters (1%), free fatty acids (< 1%), ergosterol (1.7%), and unidentified non-saponifiable compounds were also present. The phospholipids contained phosphatidyl choline (59%) as the major component; phosphatidyl ethanolamine (26%), phosphatidyl serine and phosphatidic acid (7.8%), and an inositol containing phospholipid were minor components.Some of the techniques applied were specially developed for the present type of studies and are described in detail.