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Fatty acid compositions of neutral glycerides from the ovaries of the asteroids Ctenodiscus crispatus, Asterias lincki and Pteraster militaris from Balsfjorden, northern Norway

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Abstract

Fatty acid analyses of lipids in the asteroids Ctenodiscus crispatus (Retzius), Asterias lincki (Müller and Troschel) and Pteraster militaris (O. F. Müller) collected in Balsfjorden, near Tromsø, northern Norway in 1978–1980, were performed to further our understanding of the asteroids' reproductive biology. Fatty acid compositions were determined in phospholipids, triacylglycerols and alkyldiacylglycerols isolated from ovaries of frozen C. crispatus. The major polyunsaturates in phospholipids were 20:4(n-6) followed by 20:5(n-3). Both the triacylglycerols and alkyldiacylglycerols were relatively deficient in polyunsaturates but had 20:1(n-13) and 18:1(n-7) as major components. Both these liqid classes had additionally 15% of their fatty acids as a variety of odd-numbered and branched-chain fatty acids. The fatty acid composition of neutral glycerides, largely alkyldiacylglycerols, from heat-dried ovaries of C. crispatus was not materially different from that of alkyldiacylglycerols isolated from the ovaries of frozen individuals. The fatty acid composition of neutral glycerides, largely alkyldiacylglycerols, from heat-dried ovaries of P. militaris was similar to that for C. crispatus in that 20:1(n-13) and 18:1(n-7) were major components, and odd-numbered together with branched-chain fatty acids accounted for about 15% of the total fatty acids. The fatty acid composition of neutral glycerides, consisting of equal amounts of triacylglycerols and alkyldiacylglycerols, from heat-dried ovaries of A. lincki differed from those of the previous two species in that 20:1(n-9) and 18:1(n-9) were major components and odd-numbered together with branched-chain fatty acids accounted for less than 5% of the total fatty acids. The results are discussed mainly in terms of lipid biosynthetic mechanisms within the asteroids and the interplay between internal biosynthetic activities and dietary fatty acids, particularly those from bacterial sources, is considered.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Natural Environment Research Council, Institute of Marine Biochemistry, St. Fittick's Road, AB1 3RA, Aberdeen, Scotland

    J. R. Sargent

  2. Institute of Biology and Geology, University of Tromsø, P.O. Box 3085, N-9001, Tromsø, Norway

    I. -B. Falk-Petersen

  3. Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, AB2 9SB, Aberdeen, Scotland

    A. G. Calder

Authors
  1. J. R. Sargent
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  2. I. -B. Falk-Petersen
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  3. A. G. Calder
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Communicated by J. Mauchline, Oban

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Sargent, J.R., Falk-Petersen, I.B. & Calder, A.G. Fatty acid compositions of neutral glycerides from the ovaries of the asteroids Ctenodiscus crispatus, Asterias lincki and Pteraster militaris from Balsfjorden, northern Norway. Marine Biology 72, 257–264 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00396831

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