Influence of anaerobiosis on the sterol composition of Mucor hiemalis

Strict anaerobic cultures of Mucor hiemalis lead to major modifications of the quantitative and qualitative composition of sterols. Sterols of which the lateral chain contains an ethyl or ethylidene group in C24 are for the first time brought to evidence in a Mucorales. Isolation in the same conditions of E-ethylidene-24 (28) lanostene-8 ol-3 beta lets us suppose that sterols, which are absent in aerobic cultures, are derived from this triterpene of 32 C atoms.