Effect of the exogenous lipids of complex media on the fatty acid composition of mycelial microorganisms

: The effect of exogenous lipid sources on the composition of fatty acids was studied in actinomycetes of the Streptomyces genus and in fungi belonging to the genera Blakeslea, Cunninghamella and Penicillium. The following sources of exogenous lipids were used: soybean and maize flour, sunflower by-products, chicken droppings, maize extract, yeast extract, peptone, sperm whale fat, sunflower and palm oil. The composition of fatty acids in total extracted lipids of the studied mycelial microorganisms was shown to reflect two processes: lipid synthesis de novo and assimilation of exogenous fatty acids. This fact ought to be taken into account both in the chemotaxonomic interpretation of fatty acid composition and in practical recommendations for the utilization of microbial lipids. It is of particular interest to study the physiological role of exogenous lipid metabolism in the cells of microorganisms.