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TOTAL LIPID PRODUCTION OF THE GREEN ALGA NANNOCHLOROPSIS SP. QII UNDER DIFFERENT NITROGEN REGIMES 1
Author(s) -
Suen Yu,
Hubbard J. S.,
Holzer G.,
Tornabene T. G.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.1529-8817.1987.tb04137.x
Subject(s) - nannochloropsis , biology , sterol , unsaponifiable , nitrogen , glyceride , food science , glycolipid , biochemistry , algae , biosynthesis , lipid metabolism , botany , nitrate , organic chemistry , fatty acid , chemistry , cholesterol , ecology , enzyme
The green alga Nannochloropsis sp. QII was cultivated in media with sufficient and growth‐limiting levels of nitrogen (nitrate). Nitrogen deficiency promoted lipid synthesis yielding cells with lipids comprising 55% of the biomass. The major lipids were triacylglycerols (79%), polar lipids (9%) and hydrocarbons (2.5%). The polar lipids consisted of a broad range of phospholipids, glycolipids and sulfolipids. Other lipids identified were pigments, free fatty acids, saponifiable and unsaponifiable sterol derivatives, various glycerides, a family of alkyl‐1, 4‐dioxane derivatives and a series of alkyl‐ and hydroxyalkyl‐dimethyl‐acetals. Experiments in which 14 CO 2 was provided at different times in the growth cycle demonstrated that enhanced lipid biosynthesis at low nitrogen levels resulted principally from de novo CO 2 fixation.