Ref ID : 3914
Dennis E. Rhoads and Edna S. Kaneshiro; Characterizations of Phospholipids from Paramecium tetraurelia Cells and Cilia. J.Protozool. 26(2):329-338, 1979
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Phospholipids from Paramecium tetraurelia strains 51s and (d4)95 cultures and isolated cilia were characterized. The following classes of phospholipids were identified in whole cell lipids: the 1-alkyl-2-acylglyceryl and the 1,2-diacylglyceryl forms of phosphonylethanolamine, phosphorylethanolamine, and phosphorylcholine; cardiolipin; ceramide aminoethylphosphonate and 5 other sphingolipids; phosphatidylserine; phosphatidylinositol; and lyso derivatives of the major glycerophospholipids. Cilia lipids were rich in ether lipids, phosphonolipids, and sphingolipids. Net lipid biosynthesis did not occur, as determined by the weight of lipids extracted from culture medium compared with the weight of lipids extracted from culture medium and ciliates after 7 days of growth. Total lipids/cell decreased with culture age, changes in the neutral lipid fraction accounting for the major decrease. Phospholipid class distributions changed with culture age-the glyceryl phosphorylethanolamine and choline content of cells decreased, while the glyceryl phosphonylethanolamine content remained relatively constant; hence, the ratio of phosphonolipids to total phospholipids increased. All fatty acids observed in total lipids from cells and cilia were also present in the glycerophospholipids. Total lipids from cilia contained a greater percent of polyunsaturated fatty acid than those of whole cells. Whole cells and cilia glyceryl phosphonolipids contained up to 93% eicosatetraenoic plus eicosapentaenoic fatty acids. The enrichment of phosphonolipids in cilia accounted for most of the polyunsaturated fatty acid enrichment observed in cilia total lipids. The fatty acid composition of all major whole cell glycerophospholipid classes changed dramatically with culture age, while only small changes occurred in cilia glycerophospholipids fatty acids.