Incorporation of Labeled Precursors into, and Accumulation of, Triglycerides and Phosphoglycerides at Selected Stages of Fungal Growth

Abstract There was greater incorporation of 2 −14 C acetate and of 6 −14 C glucose into phosphoglycerides than into triglycerides, of 1 1/2, 2, 3, 4 and 6 day old mycelial sample of the fungus Glomerella cingulata. Maximum incorporation into both classes of lipids occurred in young mycelial samples (2 to 3 days of age) which had a high content of total nitrogen. The five sets of mycelial samples all contained somewhat larger quantities of phosphoglycerides than triglycerides, and changes in content of both classes of lipids were similar in pattern to changes in content of total nitrogen. Incorporation, accumulation and total nitrogen of the mycelial samples, decreased at 4 days but increased again by 6 days. The apparent turnover of the triglycerides and phosphoglycerides was qualitatively similar although there was greater apparent turnover of phosphoglycerides than triglycerides; the similarity in patterns of apparent turnover was inferred to be a consequence of acyl exchange between labeled and unlabeled triglycerides and phosphoglycerides. There was greater incorporation of 2 −14 C acetate into the acyl than into the glyceryl moieties of both classes of lipids but greater incorporation of 6 −14 C glucose into the glyceryl than acyl moieties. With both precursors, the glyceryl and acyl moieties of the phosphoglycerides were more heavily labeled than corresponding moieties of the triglycerides.