Table 3.

Effect of Fer depletion on Δ5-desaturase activity in B. subtilis strains^a

Fatty acid type	Mean % fatty acids ± SD
	JH642		L43		L43C
	MM	MM-MIV	MM	MM-MIV	MM	MM-MIV
SFAs	60 ± 2	58 ± 3	68.3 ± 0.6	67 ± 3	61 ± 2	60 ± 4
UFAs	40 ± 2	42 ± 3	31.7 ± 0.6	33 ± 3	39 ± 2	40 ± 4

^aCells were grown to log phase at 37°C in MM or MM-MIV. Two-milliliter samples were labeled with 0.2 μCi [¹⁴C]palmitate at 25°C for 2 h. Labeled fatty acids were extracted and methyl esters were prepared as described in Materials and Methods. Each sample was fractionated by argentation–thin-layer chromatography. The spots of the different fatty acids were quantified by use of ImageQuant 5.2. Values are the means of data from five independent experiments and are expressed as percentages of total fatty acids. SFAs, saturated fatty acids; UFA, unsaturated fatty acids.