The fatty acid and aldehyde composition of the major phospholipids of mouse brain

Phospholipid classes were separated from mouse brain lipid extracts by preparative thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Methyl esters were prepared from the intact phospholipids by direct transesterification at room temperature in the presence of silica gel by using 0.5m NaOH-methanol in order to prevent interference by aldehydes or derivatives. Dimethyl acetal derivatives of phosphoglyceride alkenyl ethers (alkenyl moiety with a double bond in 1,2-position relative to oxygen linkage) were prepared, using 5% concentrated HCl in methanol, followed by preparative TLC for isolation. The major phospholipids present were ethanolamine phosphoglycerides (EPG) 39.8%, choline phosphoglycerides (CPG) 39.7%, serine phosphoglycerides (SPG) 15.0%, and sphingomyelin (Sph) 5.4%. One-fifth of the total phospholipids (PL) were in the form of plasmalogens, mainly EPG. Choline and serine plasmalogens were present in trace quantities. The major aldehyde components of the plasmalogens were 16∶0, 18∶0, and 18∶1. The EPG were rich in long-chain poly-unsaturated fatty acids, including 28.8% of 22∶6 and 17.0% of 20∶4, but contained only 7.2% of 16∶0. In contrast, the CPG contained 39.6% of 16∶0, and 31.0% of 18∶1 with a small content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The SPG exhibited a still different pattern containing 38.2% of 18∶0, 23.2% of 18∶1, 24.3% of 22∶6, 2.9% of 16∶0, and 3.8% of 20∶4. Presented in part at the AOCS Meeting, New Orleans, May 1967.