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THE IN VIVO INCORPORATION OF LINOLENIC ACID INTO NEURONAL and GLIAL CELLS and MYELIN 1
Author(s) -
Cohen Steven R.,
Bernsohn Joseph
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1978.tb10769.x
Subject(s) - myelin , oligodendrocyte , linolenate , phosphatidylethanolamine , biochemistry , phospholipid , phosphatidylcholine , linolenic acid , polyunsaturated fatty acid , biology , fatty acid , plasmalogen , neuroglia , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , central nervous system , linoleic acid , endocrinology , membrane
— Neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and myelin were prepared from 21‐day‐old rat brain at various times after intracerebral injection of [1‐ 14 C]linolenate. Comparisons of phospholipid specific radioactivity demonstrated that the oligodendrocytes were much more active than neuronal, astroglial, or myelin fractions. This is consistent with the concept that the oligodendrocyte is responsible for synthesis of the relatively large mass of myelin sheath. Initially the phosphatidylcholine fraction was more active than the phosphatidylethanolamine fraction, but during the 36 h after injection the former decreased in radioactivity while the latter fraction showed an increase. Fatty acid elongation occurred rapidly. Within 2h after injection, 2/3 of the label had been converted to elongated products (20:4. 20:5, 22:5 and 22:6). All three cell types apparently contained the enzymes necessary to incorporate, elongate, and desaturate linolenic acid and this occurred at similar rates in each cell type. No direct precursor‐product relationship was found between the lipids of oligodendrocytes and myelin. There was, however, a lag in the appearance of elongated fatty acids in the phosphoglycerides of myelin. indicating that the polyunsaturated fatty acids in myelin were synthesized elsewhere and transported into the myelin sheath.