Abstract: | Species of the unicellular Porphyridium have been examined for their sterol content. Clones of 4 species maintained in axenic, chemically-defined culture were analyzed—these included P. sordidum Geitler, P. purpureum (Bory) Ross, P. aerugineum Geitler and P. violaceum Kormnann(P. griseum Geitler was not available to use for examination). The major sterol was 22-dehydrocholesterol in all except P. aerugineum in which there was a mixture of this sterol, cholesterol and higher sterols. Traces of C28 and C29 sterols were detected in most instances as well. |