In view of previously reported anti-inflammatory bioactivity of the New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel (NZGLM), the overall lipid profile and fatty acid and sterol composition of the NZGLM from various sites in New Zealand (Hallam Cove, Port Ligar. Little Nikau) were investigated using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and gas liquid chromatography (GLC). Samples were either frozen (F) or freeze-dri...

Phycomyces is a fungal producer of -carotene and other beneficial metabolites. Several erg mutants of Phycomyces, originally selected to study the effects of membrane alteration on physiological responses, have now been used to gain information about sterol biosynthesis in filamentous fungi. One mutant, H23, and its progeny were found to be blocked at episterol C-5 dehydrogenase and did not pro...

The understanding of environmentally induced changes in the biochemical composition of phytoplankton species is of great importance in both physiological studies and ecological food web research. In extensive laboratory experiments we tested the influence of two different temperatures (I QOC and 25°C) and a phosphorus supply gradient on the sterol concentrations of the three freshwater phytopla...

Plasma membranes are dynamic compartments with key functions in solute transport, cell shape, and communication between cells and the environment. In mammalian cells and yeast, the plasma membrane has been shown to be compartmented into so-called lipid rafts, which are defined by their resistance to treatment with non-ionic detergents. In plants, the existence of lipid rafts has been postulated...

ABSTRACT: In this study the non-saponifiable matter of oils extracted from nine varieties of sunflower seed were subjected a series of chemical tests. The non-saponifiable matters were fractionated into a number of chemical classes of compounds namely sterols, 4 methyl sterols, triterpene alcohols, tocopherols and hydrocarbons. The two major and important classes of compounds consisting of ster...

Cholesterol is the major sterol component of all mammalian cell plasma membranes and plays a critical role in cell function and growth. Previous studies have shown that cholesterol inhibits inward rectifier K(+) (Kir) channels, but have not distinguished whether this is due directly to protein-sterol interactions or indirectly to changes in the physical properties of the lipid bilayer. Using pu...

Sterols play vital roles in plant growth and development, as components of membranes and as precursors to steroid hormones. Analysis of Arabidopsis mutants indicates that sterol composition is crucial for cellulose biosynthesis. Sterols are widespread in the plasma membrane (PM), suggesting a possible link between sterols and the multimeric cellulose synthase complex. In one possible scenario, ...