AbstractCertain aspects of lipid metabolism inFusarium oxysporumwere studied using acetate‐1‐C14and H3P32O4for incorporation of radioactivity into the fungal mycelium. During initial stages of growth of the organism (up to 1 h of incubation) the phospholipid fraction exhibited relatively higher specific activity values indicating its rapid rate of synthesis. Higher turnover rates were observed for phosphatidic acid (PA) and polyglycerophosphatides (PGP). It is postulated that PGP represents a labile pool where PA synthesised in excess of the metabolic needs of the cell is stored to be subsequently used during periods of intense phospholipid biosynthesis. In pulse and chase experiments, higher specific activities were observed for PA, PGP and cardiolipin (CL) fractions after 1‐day chase on unlabelled media. Rapid turnover rates were observed for PA, PGP and cardiolipin (CL) fractions. It is suggested that these are involved in the growth of new cells and (or) in the cell repair processes. In cells grown both under normal and carbon‐starvation conditions, the specific activity pattern of phosphatidyl choline (PC), and phosphatidyl ethanolamine and phosphatidyl glycerol (PE + PG measured collectively) was very similar indicating similarity in the metabolism of these two classes of phosphatides. Addition of sodium arsenite, alloxan, p. benzoquinone and citric acid in the incubation media was found to affect the synthesis of lipid classes in different ways. For example, among the polar lipids, PA, PC, PE + PG, CL and SGP + FFA fractions were inhibited by p.benzoquinone, while the incorporation of label from C14was found to be stimulated into the phosphatidyl inositol f
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