Changes in phospholipids during the cell cycle of myxomycete Physarum polycephalum

The rate of 32Pi incorporation into the main membrane phospholipid fractions, i.e. phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylinositol (PI), as well as their contents in the cells during synchronous growth of the myxomycete, Physarum polycephalum, have been studied. It has been found that both the phospholipid levels and the rates of 32Pi incorporation increase during the S phase till the early G2 phase, remain nearly constant during the G2 phase and fall to the initial level at the end of the G2 phase and in mitosis. It has been revealed that the rate of 32Pi incorporation into PC is very low compared to PE and PI, in spite of the fact that the PC level is the highest. The possible reasons of this phenomenon are discussed.