Next Article in Journal
Targeting the CD47–TSP1 Axis in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: A Novel Immunotherapeutic Approach
Previous Article in Journal
Phase-Dependent Transcriptional Reprogramming of Vitis vinifera During Pierce’s Disease Progression by Xylella fastidiosa Infection
Previous Article in Special Issue
The Photosynthetic Complexes of Thylakoid Membranes of Photoautotrophs and a Quartet of Their Polar Lipids
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
IJMS
Volume 26
Issue 22
10.3390/ijms262211041
ijms-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Communication

Sterol Composition in the Lichens Lobaria pulmonaria and Lobaria retigera: Does Photobiont Matter?

by
Julia N. Valitova
1,
Venera R. Khabibrakhmanova
1,2,
Vasiliy M. Babayev
3,
Ajsylu F. Khajrullina
1,
Oleg P. Gurjanov
1,
Natalia I. Gazizova
1,
Richard P. Beckett
1 and
Farida V. Minibayeva
1,*
1
Kazan Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, FRC Kazan Scientific Center of RAS, P.O. Box 261, Kazan 420111, Russia
2
Department of Food Biotechnology, Kazan National Research Technological University, Kazan 420015, Russia
3
Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry, FRC Kazan Scientific Center of RAS, Kazan 420088, Russia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(22), 11041; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262211041
Submission received: 30 September 2025 / Revised: 7 November 2025 / Accepted: 12 November 2025 / Published: 14 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights of Fungal and Plant Lipids: Structural Diversity, Metabolism and Applications)
Versions Notes

Abstract

The lipid composition of the mycobint and photobiont symbiotic partners of lichenized ascomycetes varies greatly. The aim of this study was to compare the profile of the major sterols in two closely related lichens from the genus Lobaria with different photobionts. The three-component lichen Lobaria pulmonaria has two photobionts. While the main photobiont is the chlorophycean alga Symbiochloris reticulata, this lichen contains small amounts of the cyanobacterium Nostoc. By contrast, the cyanobacterium Nostoc is the main photobiont in Lobaria retigera. Relatively loosely bound sterols were extracted using a chloroform–methanol mixture, and subsequently, more tightly bound sterols by alkaline saponification. The initial chloroform–methanol extraction step indicated that ergosterol is the principal sterol in both species, with phytosterols constituting a minor fraction. However, the addition of an alkaline saponification step to the standard protocol of sterol extraction greatly increases the release of tightly bound phytosterols, such as campesterol, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol from L. pulmonaria, but not from L. retigera. Therefore, the mycobionts and Nostoc mainly possess sterols extractable by the standard mixture of chloroform/methanol, while the chlorophycean algal photobiont contains tightly bound sterols. This observation could be important when studying the roles of sterols in the stress tolerance of lichens.
Keywords: lichen; Lobaria pulmonaria; Lobaria retigera; photobiont; mycobiont; sterols; saponification lichen; Lobaria pulmonaria; Lobaria retigera; photobiont; mycobiont; sterols; saponification

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Valitova, J.N.; Khabibrakhmanova, V.R.; Babayev, V.M.; Khajrullina, A.F.; Gurjanov, O.P.; Gazizova, N.I.; Beckett, R.P.; Minibayeva, F.V. Sterol Composition in the Lichens Lobaria pulmonaria and Lobaria retigera: Does Photobiont Matter? Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26, 11041. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262211041

AMA Style

Valitova JN, Khabibrakhmanova VR, Babayev VM, Khajrullina AF, Gurjanov OP, Gazizova NI, Beckett RP, Minibayeva FV. Sterol Composition in the Lichens Lobaria pulmonaria and Lobaria retigera: Does Photobiont Matter? International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025; 26(22):11041. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262211041

Chicago/Turabian Style

Valitova, Julia N., Venera R. Khabibrakhmanova, Vasiliy M. Babayev, Ajsylu F. Khajrullina, Oleg P. Gurjanov, Natalia I. Gazizova, Richard P. Beckett, and Farida V. Minibayeva. 2025. "Sterol Composition in the Lichens Lobaria pulmonaria and Lobaria retigera: Does Photobiont Matter?" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 26, no. 22: 11041. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262211041

APA Style

Valitova, J. N., Khabibrakhmanova, V. R., Babayev, V. M., Khajrullina, A. F., Gurjanov, O. P., Gazizova, N. I., Beckett, R. P., & Minibayeva, F. V. (2025). Sterol Composition in the Lichens Lobaria pulmonaria and Lobaria retigera: Does Photobiont Matter? International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(22), 11041. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262211041

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop