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New Evidence for a Novel Biosynthetic Pathway to Plasmalogens in Anaerobic Bacteria
Author(s) -
Goldfine Howard,
Guan Ziqiang,
Johnston Norah C.,
AygunSunar Semra,
Daldal Fevzi,
Raetz Christian R.H.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.938.3
Subject(s) - plasmalogen , cardiolipin , phosphatidylglycerol , phosphatidylethanolamine , biochemistry , phosphatidic acid , chemistry , biosynthesis , phospholipid , acyltransferase , biology , phosphatidylcholine , enzyme , membrane
Study objective A study of the polar lipids of Clostridium novyi NT and C. tetani was undertaken as part of an ongoing exploration of plasmalogen biosynthesis in anaerobic bacteria. Approach and results Our study of the polar lipids of two species of clostridia by thin‐layer chromatography and mass spectrometry has revealed the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn), cardiolipin and phosphatidylglycerol (PtdGro), as major phospholipids with small amounts of lysyl‐PtdGro and alanyl‐PtdGro in C. novyi . PtdEtn, PtdGro and aminoacyl‐PtdGro were present in both the diacyl and alk‐1′‐enyl acyl (plasmalogen) forms and cardiolipin plasmalogens were found to contain one or two alk‐1′‐enyl chains. In contrast, the precursor lipids phosphatidic acid, CDP‐diacylglycerol and phosphatidylserine were present almost exclusively as diacyl phospholipids. Conclusions These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that plasmalogens are formed from diacylated phospholipids at a late stage of phospholipid formation in clostridia. This novel pathway begins with acylation of glycerol‐3‐P and contrasts with the route in animals in which a saturated ether bond is formed at an early stage of plasmalogen biosynthesis from acyl‐dihydroxyacetone‐P and the alk‐1‐enyl bond is formed by an aerobic mechanism. Research support: GM‐069338, DOE‐ER‐20052, and the University of Pennsylvania.