Changes in Endogenous Fatty Acids and Lipid Synthesis Associated with Copper Pollution in<i>Fucus</i>spp

Abstract

Fatty acid synthesis from [14C]acetate was studied in the brown algae, Fucus serratus and Fucus vesiculosus, which had been collected from sites polluted by run-off from old copper mines. Algae collected from areas exposed to copper in situ showed changes in the pattern of fatty acids labelled in vitro with an increase in oleate labelling and a decrease in palmitate labelling in both species. The endogenous fatty acid patterns for algae from polluted sites also differed from those from unpolluted sites. Algae from sites polluted by copper contained more oleate than samples from non-polluted sites. In addition, there were decreases in the polyunsaturated fatty acids α-linolenate, octadecatetraenoate and docosapentaenoate for copper-exposed algae. These differences are discussed with regard to the possible metabolic site of copper's action and to the relative tolerance of Fucus spp. to high environmental dissolved copper levels.