Lipid Metabolism in<i>Fucus serratus</i>as Modified by Environmental Factors

Abstract

The effect of changes in the environment on lipid metabolism has been studied in the brown alga, Fucus serratus L. Light stimulated the incorporation of radioactivity from /{I4C/}acetate into oleic and, especially, into linoleic acid. The same effect was caused by lowering the incubation temperature from 15 °C to 4 °C. Incubations in the presence of Cd + +, Pb + + or Zn+ + had no effect on the total uptake of /{14C/}acetate into the frond tip samples, but lowered the labelling of total lipids relative to aqueous-soluble components. However, pre-exposure of the algae to heavy metal cations caused changes in the uptake of radioactivity but had less effect on the relative labelling of lipids than incubations in the presence of heavy metal cations. Algae collected from sites where the dissolved levels of heavy metals were elevated, showed a decrease in the relative labelling of lipids from /{14C/}acetate. Concentrations of Cd+ +, Pb+ + or Zn+ + at 10 × levels found at the collection site had little effect on the pattern of fatty acids made by Fucus serratus.