Temperature-induced changes in the lipid molecular species of a thermophilic cyanobacterium, Mastigocladus laminosus.

Abstract

Temperature-induced changes in lipid molecular species of a thermophilic cyanobacterium, Mastigocladus laminosus, were investigated. The cells were grown at 48°C phototrophically, and transferred at mid-log phase to 40°C and 55°C. The lipids in the cells grown at dilferent temperatures were extracted, analyzed, and compared. The cells acclimated to decreasing and increasing temperatures by altering the constituent longer fatty acids and lipid class levels. The variation in fatty acids caused great changes in molecular species of lipids. The ways of changing lipid molecular species may have differed among lipid classes. Thermal analysis of the lipids showed that thermograms of the membrane lipids were greatly affected by the growth temperature, suggesting that proper changes in the membrane fluidity are required.