Phospholipid molecular species composition of developing fetal guinea pig brain |
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Authors: | Graham C Burdge Anthony D Postle |
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Affiliation: | (1) Child Health, Level G, Centre Block, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, SO16 6YD Southampton, UK |
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Abstract: | Adequate accumulation of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids, in particular docosahexaenoic acid (22∶6n−3), into membrane
phospholipids is critical for optimal fetal brain development. This process is maximal during the period of rapid neurite
outgrowth, neuritogenesis, which precedes the major growth phase, myelination. There is no information about differential
changes during gestation to individual brain phospholipid molecular species which contain 22∶6n−3. Such details of brain development
would be concealed by total fatty acid analysis of isolated phospholipid classes. We have detailed phosphatidylcholine (PC)
and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) molecular species compositions in developing fetal guinea pig brain. Total brain PC concentration
increased substantially between 40 and 68 (term) d of gestation, corresponding to myelination, while PE increased in a biphasic
manner between 25–35 d, which was coincident with onset of neuritogenesis, and 40–68 d. Fetal brain development was accompanied
by complex changes in the concentration of individual phospholipid molecular species. During early gestation (25–40 d) 22∶6n−3
was enriched in both PC and PEsn−1 16∶0 molecular species. However, between 40 d and term there was no further increase in brain PC 22∶6n−3 content, while
brain PE was significantly enriched in both PE 18∶1/22∶6 and PE18∶0/22∶6. We hypothesize that accumulation of 22∶6n−3 intosn−1 18∶1 and 18∶0 species represents establishment of a 22∶6n−3-containing membrane PE pool which may be turned over more slowly
thansn−1 16∶0 species. Identification of specific changes in membrane phospholipids which are associated with defined events in
brain development may provide a basis for assigning functional roles to individual molecular species. |
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