| Abstract: | Developmental changes in the phospholipid, cholesterol, and fatty acid composition of chicken pectoralis muscle cells were analyzed during development in vivo and in tissue culture. The phospholipid composition of muscle cells showed only minor changes during in vivo or in vitro development but there were significant alterations in fatty acid composition. During in vivo development between the 12th and 22nd days the concentration of palmitate and arachidonate decreased with increase in linoleate. In cultured muscle cells the fatty acid composition changes with surprising plasticity depending on the fatty acid supply. Compensatory changes were observed in the chain length and unsaturation of several fatty acids, aimed presumably at maintaining the physical properties of the lipid phase relatively constant. |
