Potato tuber phospholipids contain colneleic acid in the 2-position.

Colneleic acid (9-[1'(E),3'(Z)-nonadienyloxy]-8(E)-nonenoic acid) is produced from linoleic acid by the sequential action of 9-lipoxygenase and divinyl ether synthase. We demonstrate that a small fraction of the colneleic acid in potato tubers is esterified in phospholipids. This colneleic acid was released by chemical hydrolysis and a phospholipase A(2), but not by a lipase with 1-acyl specificity. Phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol contain molecular species with nominal masses consistent with identification as palmitoyl,colneleoyl species. Exact mass analysis of its fragments confirmed the identity of palmitoyl,colneloyl phosphatidylinositol. To our knowledge, this work represents the first identification of a colneleoyl phospholipid.