Endonuclear lipids in liver cellsThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in this Special Issue, entitled The Nucleus: A Cell Within A Cell.

Abstract

Lipids are not only components of cell nucleus membranes, but are also found in the membrane-depleted nuclei where they fulfill special functions. We have investigated the lipid composition of membrane-depleted rat liver nuclei obtained by incubation with low Triton X-100 concentrations of 0.04% and 0.08%, which rendered them unaltered or hardly altered. Under these conditions, 26% of proteins and 22% of phospholipids were recovered. The main phospholipids were phosphatidylcholine > phosphatidylethanolamine > phosphatidylinositol ≥ phosphatidylserine and sphingomyelin (in decreasing concentrations). The fatty acid components of total lipids and phosphatidylcholine were mainly unsaturated. Over 40% belonged to the n–6 series (arachidonic ≥25% and linoleic 15%); approximately 40% corresponded to saturated acids and <10% were monoenoic. Endonuclear phosphatidylcholine was built up by 16 molecular species, the most abundant being 18:0–20:4 (32%), 16:0–20:4 (19%), 16:0–18:2 (13%), and 18:0–18:2 (11%). The fatty acid composition and phosphatidylcholine molecular species distribution in the membrane-depleted nucleus of rat liver showed patterns similar to the whole nucleus, mitochondria, microsomes, and homogenate of the parent liver cells, suggesting that endonuclear lipid pool composition is mainly determined by a liver organ profile.