Abstract
STEROLS are widely distributed in Nature, but they have not so far been detected in bacteria1. Among the higher plants and algae which have been examined, only the primitive blue-green algae (division, Cyanophyta) have been reported to lack sterols2. The blue-green algae represent an interesting borderline case taxonomically, because their mode of photosynthesis is of the advanced or plant type, whereas their morphology is similar to that of the bacteria. It was felt, therefore, that the blue-green algae should be re-examined for sterols with more sensitive modern methods. Analysing three representative species of cyanophycean algae by a combination of tracer and gas-chromatographic techniques we have failed, like earlier investigators2, to obtain any evidence for the presence of sterols in these organisms.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Asselineau, J., and Lederer, E., Ann. Rev. Biochem., 30, 71 (1961).
Carter, P. W., Heilbron, I. M., and Lythgoe, B., Proc. Roy. Soc., B, 128, 82 (1939).
Fogg, G. E., Bact. Revs., 20, 148 (1956).
Kratz, W. A., and Myers, J., Amer. J. Bot., 42, 282 (1955).
Clayton, R. B., J. Biol. Chem., 235, 3421 (1960).
Clayton, R. B., Biochem., 1, 357 (1962).
Miller, J. D. A., in Physiology and Biochemistry of Algae, edit. by Lewin, R. A., 357 (Academic Press, New York, 1962).
Klosty, M., and Bergmann, W., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 74, 1601 (1952).
Tsuda, K., Akagi, S., and Kishida, Y., Pharm. Bull. (Tokyo), 6, 101 (1958).
Tsuda, K., Hayatsu, R., Kishida, Y., and Akagi, S., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 80, 921 (1958).
Stanier, R. Y., Doudoroff, M., and Adelberg, E. A., The Microbial World, third ed., 100 (Prentice-Hall, Inc., Engelwood Cliffs, N.J., 1963).
Hunter, jun. E. O., and McVeigh, I., Amer. J. Bot., 48, 179 (1961).
Kinsky, S. C., Avruch, J., Permutt, M., Rogers, H. B., and Schonder, A. A., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm., 9, 503 (1962).
Stanier, R. Y., Ann. Inst. Pasteur, 101, 297 (1961).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
LEVIN, E., BLOCH, K. Absence of Sterols in Blue-green Algae. Nature 202, 90–91 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/202090a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/202090a0
This article is cited by
-
Pseudomonas classification
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1994)
-
Effects of ergosterol, palmitic acid and related simple lipids on the recovery of Candida albicans from ultraviolet irradiation
Archiv f�r Mikrobiologie (1972)
-
Blaualgenliteratur aus den Jahren 1960–1966
Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Hydrologie (1967)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
