Fatty acid and sterol composition of ungerminated spores of the vesicular‐arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus,Acaulospora laevis

The fatty acids and sterols of ungerminated chlamydospores of the vesicular‐arbuscular (VA) endophyte Acaulospora laevis were examined by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The total lipid content of the spores was 45.5% of the spore dry weight. Predominant fatty acids were palmitoleic (52.5%), palmitic (25.5%) and oleic (7.4%). Minor fatty acids consisted of a range of (n−3) and (n−6) polyunsaturated acids. The occurrence of (n−3) polyunsaturated fatty acids is rare in fungi of the order Mucorales. Three sterols were identified as 24‐ethylcholesterol (79.9%), cholesterol (11.0%) and 24‐methylcholesterol (9.2%). No ergosterol was detected. Lipids of the chlamydospores of A. laevis are compared with those of Glomus caledonius .