Fate of ergosterol and cholestanol in pleuro-pneumonia-like organisms.

Smith, Paul F. (University of South Dakota, Vermillion). Fate of ergosterol and cholestanol in pleuropneumonia-like organisms. J. Bacteriol. 84:534-538. 1962.-Cholesterol, an essential growth requirement of certain pleuropneumonia-like organisms, can be replaced by ergosterol or cholestanol. Since cholesterol is incorporated unchanged, determination was made of the fate of substituted sterols. Ergosterol-grown cells contained predominately ergosterol, as evidenced by physical and chemical characteristics. The other components were decomposition products arising from radiation and experimental treatments. Cholestanol-grown cells contained predominately cholestanol. Radiation- or aeration-induced decomposition products of cholestanol were formed to a greater extent in inoculated than in uninoculated culture media. Sterols capable of substituting for cholesterol are incorporated without significant biologically induced alterations and carry out the function of cholesterol.