The effect of temperature on the fatty acid composition of Tetrahymena pyriformis WH-14.

A reduction in the growth temperature of Tetrahymena pyriformis strains WH-14 from 35 C to 15 C resulted in distinct alterations in the fatty acid composition of the glycerophospholipids. The proportion of normal saturated acids declined from 26 to 19%; palmitoleic acid increased by 6%, and the composition of the polyunsaturated fatty acids increased in 18:2 delta 6,11 (n) and decreased in 18:2 delta 9,12 (n) and 18:3 delta 6,9,12 (n). The unsaturation index (the average number of double bonds/100 molecules) did not change with a shift in temperature.