Fatty acids of mitochondrial membranes from Tetrahymena pyriformis.

We have examined the fatty acid composition of the mitochondrial membranes in three strains of Tetrahymena pyriformis. All three had similar components and exhibited large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids. The cytoplasmic mutant, CA-10, which has a slower growth rate and unusual membrane morphology, had a slightly higher amount of iso-acids but was otherwise similar to the other strains in fatty acid composition. Arachidonic acid, previously undetected in extracts of Tetrahymena, was identified as a minor component of the mitochondrial membrane.