The cerebrosides produced by the soil filamentous fungus Mortierella alpina strain KG-1/95 account for about 13% of the total polar lipids extractable from lyophilised cells with chloroform/methanol mixtures. By means of 1H NMR and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionisation mass spectrometry, and chemical degradation experiment, they have been shown to be 1-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-2-N-(2'-D-hydroxyalkanoyl)-9-methylsphinga-4(E),8(E)-dienines, the fatty acid composition of which is unusual and consists of 2-hydroxytridecanoic (4%), 2-hydroxytetradecanoic (60%), 2-hydroxypentadecanoic (20%), and 2-hydroxyhexadecanoic (16%) acids.