Studies on Lipids of Soil Micro-organisms with Particular Reference to Hydrocarbons

Abstract

SUMMARYThe lipids of soil micro-organisms harvested from simple and complex media varied from 2 to 20% in bacteria, 10 to 20% in fungi, 2-5 to 15% (w/w) in algae. The bulk of the lipid usually consisted of polar compounds; paraffinic hydrocarbons comprised 0.008 to 2.7 yo in bacteria, 0.04 to 0.7 yo in fungi, 0.08 to 2.9% (wlw) in algae. Lipid contents of algae were more affected by growth medium composition than were those of the bacteria and fungi. Gas-liquid chromatography showed that the hydrocarbons were paraffins in the range c16-36. The hydrocarbon patterns varied with species and growth medium. A peak in the range c27-31 was usual in bacteria with sometimes a minor peak in the range C,,-,,. The fungi exhibited slightly more stable hydrocarbon patterns (except Trichoderma viride) than bacteria and most showed major and minor paraffin peaks in similar regions.The algae showed a peak at CI7 regardless of the growth medium but Tetraspora gelatinosa showed an increase in C25 and C27 paraffin content when grown with acetate. The ratio of paraffin chains consisting of odd numbers of carbon atoms to those containing even numbers of carbon atoms was around unity for bacteria and fungi, also for T. gelatinosa when it was grown on COz as sole carbon source. The Nostoc sp. and T. gelatinosa (grown with CO, plus acetate) contained predominantly Codd paraffins.

A new regional, mid-Holocene palaeoprecipitation signal of the Asian Summer Monsoon

“…Again this is typical of higher plant leaf waxes and is within the range of values recorded in the modern estuary (Strong et al, 2012). Widely-sourced LMW C 16 and C 18 fatty acids (Eglinton and Hamilton, 1967;Fang et al, 2002;Jones, 1969;Volkman et al, 1998) are also present in all core samples. These LMW fatty acids have previously been utilised as marine-source biomarkers in coastal settings (Gogou and Stephanou, 2004).…”

Even-n-alkane/alkene predominances in surface sediments from the Calabar River, SE Niger Delta, Nigeria

“…In a review of sources and occurrences related to this specific predominance of n-alkanes in sedimentary environments by Elias et al (1997), the n-alkane profiles were traced back to an autochthonous source, possibly to an input of algal detritus and bacterial degradation Bacterially produced n-alkanes in the n-C 12 -n-C 22 range with strong maxima of one or two even numbered n-alkanes is relatively common (Elias et al 1997 n-C 18 and n-C 20 dominance in the range n-C 16 -n-C 24 , as also in this report (Table 1), has been ascribed to similar distributions in bacteria Desulfovibrio desulfuricans (Davis 1968), Coryne bacterium sp. (Jones 1969), Escherichia coli (Han and Calvin 1969;Han et al 1980) or fungi like Penicillin sp. (Jones 1969;Fisher et al 1972) and Rhizopus stolonifer (Fisher et al 1972).…”

“…(Jones 1969), Escherichia coli (Han and Calvin 1969;Han et al 1980) or fungi like Penicillin sp. (Jones 1969;Fisher et al 1972) and Rhizopus stolonifer (Fisher et al 1972). Yeast species have also been reported therein to biosynthesize such n-alkanes.…”

An integrated approach to assess the origins of black films on a granite monument

“…N-alkanes and n-alkenes in the range C 10 -C 19 were minor compounds in the evaporate and showed an increasing in the pyrolysis at 500°C. Phytadienes are thermal degradation products from chlorophylls (SaizJimenez et al 1990) and their presence could indicate the contribution of algae, which is in fair agreement with the relatively important presence of heptadecane, a predominant constituent of most cyanobacteria and algae (Jones 1969;Gelpi et al 1970).…”