LIPIDS IN BLUE‐GREEN ALGAL MATS (MODERN STROMATOLITES) FROM ANTARCTIC OASIS LAKES 1

• Published in: Journal of Phycology
• Main Authors: Orcutt, David M., Parker, Bruce C., Lusby, William R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1986
• Subjects: Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1529-8817.1986.tb02496.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1529-8817.1986.tb02496.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1529-8817.1986.tb02496.x

ABSTRACT Lipids comprising the stenols, stanols, polar lipid fatty acids, alkanes and alkenes of blue‐green algal‐(diatomaceous)‐microbial mats and cores (modern cold water stromatolites) collected from three Antarctic lakes were identified and compared with those of other algae. The major stenols were: (cholesta‐5, 22‐dien‐3β‐ol, cholest‐5‐en‐3β‐ol, 24‐methylcholesta‐5, 22‐dien‐3β‐ol, 24‐methyl‐cholest‐5‐en‐3β‐ol, 24‐ethylcholesta‐5, 22‐dien‐3β‐ol, and 24‐ethylcholest‐5‐en‐3β‐ol). The presence of C28 Δ 3, 22 stenols, as well as other C28 stenols, was suggestive of diatom input. C29 stenols may have originated from blue‐grern algae. However, the high concentrations of stenols present and the lack of Δ 7 stenols was atypical for known stenol components of several blue‐green algal species previously reported. The occurrence of these stenols and other lipid markers strongls implicate diatoms as well as blue‐green algae as important biogenetic sources of lipids and has established the potential for studies of lipid diagenesis in these unique cold, freshwater stromatolites .