Lipid metabolism in Achlya: studies of lipid turnover during development

The life cycle of Achlya involves germination of spores to form coenocytic somatic hyphae, followed by differentiation of hyphal tips into sporangia. From germination to release of new spores occupies 27-30 h. Total lipid made up 10% of dry weight in ungerminated spores. After germination, total lipid fell to 6% of dry weight in 15 h, then rose to 7.7% at the time of sporangium formation. Half of the initial loss of lipid took place within 2 h of germination. The ability of Achlya to incorporate [1-14C]acetate into lipid was maximal at the time of sporangium formation, and glycerides were the principal component of total lipid to become 14C-labelled at all stages of the life cycle. Fatty acid synthetase activity measured in cell-free extracts was low in spores and in actively elongating mycelium, but increased during idfferentiation to a level 15-fold greater than that in spores. Fatty acid oxidation, as estimated by the release of 14CO2 from 1-14C-labelled fatty acids, was also maximal at the time of sporangium formation.