Rapid temperature-induced changes in the fatty acid composition of certain lipids in developing linseed and soya-bean cotyledons.

A change in ambient temperature caused marked alterations, over a 24h period, in the proportions of the unsaturated C18 fatty acids in 3-sn-phosphatidylcholine and 1,2-diacyglycerols during the development of soya-bean and linseed cotyledons. The molar proportion of oleate increased when the temperature was increased whereas that of linoleate or linolenate, depending on the species, increased when the temperature was lowered. Concomitant changes in the composition of 3-sn-phosphatidylethanolamine and triacylglycerols were small.