PHOSPHORYLATION OF DIGLYCERIDES BY RAT BRAIN

Abstract

The addition of D-α,β-dimyristin was observed to stimulate by three to six times the labelling of phospholipids from radioactive inorganic phosphate (Pi32) by glycolysing homogenates and respiring mitochondria of rat brain. The increase in labelling was confined to the glycerophosphate (GP) isolated by two-dimensional chromatography from the water-soluble hydrolysis products obtained on weak alkaline treatment of the labelled phospholipids. The GP formed under these conditions is presumed to be derived mainly from phosphatidic acid formed by the phosphorylation of the diglyceride. A similar effect was observed for D-α,β-dipalmitin, D-α,β-diolein, and natural diglycerides prepared from either egg lecithin or spinal cord lecithin, but not for D-α-β-distearin. L-α,β-Diolein was much less effective than the D-isomer, suggesting a stereospecificity on the part of the enzymic phosphorylation of diglyceride. Experiments on the effects of the omission of Mg++and the addition of glycolytic inhibitors on the stimulation of the labelling from Pi32caused by D-α,β-dimyristin and D-α,β-diolein in the anaerobic homogenate system suggested that the increased phosphorylation caused by added diglycerides was closely coupled to active glycolysis. A comparison of the relative specific activity of the lipid P, following incubation of Pi32and ATP32in the anaerobic homogenate system inhibited by fluoride with and without D-α,β-diolein added, showed that the phosphate of the newly formed phosphatidic acid was derived from ATP, suggesting the presence of a D-α,β-diglyceride kinase.