Variability of Lipid Constituents of the Soil Cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus from the Dead Sea Basin and Negev Desert

V. M. Dembitsky^1*, I. Dor², and I. Shkrob²

¹Natural Lipids Group, P. O. Box 39074, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91390, Israel; fax: +9722-645-0276; E-mail: dvalery@cc.huji.ac.il

²Division of Environmental Science, Graduate School of Applied Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received March 30, 2000; Revision received April 19, 2000

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A study of lipids of the soil cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus, which was isolated from microbial crusts collected in the Dead Sea basin and in the Negev desert, was performed. Twenty-six hydrocarbons and fatty acids were separated and identified by GC/MS using serially coupled capillary columns of different polarity. Changes in the lipid composition were evaluated by comparison of samples collected from different locations. Heptadecane, 1-heptadecene, 6- and 7-methylheptadecane, hexadecanoic and 9(Z)-octadecenoic acids were identified as the major constituents. Biochemical mechanisms of production of the different lipid compounds under UV irradiation are proposed.

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KEY WORDS: heptadecane, fatty acids, Microcoleus vaginatus, soil cyanobacterium, Dead Sea, Negev desert, UV irradiation

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