Surface components of chylomicrons from rats fed glyceryl or alkyl esters of fatty acids: minor components.

The lipid class, fatty acid and molecular species composition of the minor polar surface components of rat lymph chylomicrons were determined during absorption of menhaden oil and corn oil or of the corresponding fatty acid ethyl esters. In addition to the previously reported minor polar lipids (sphingomyelin, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidic acid and lysophosphatidylcholine), we identified phosphatidylglycerol, dimethylphosphatidylethanolamine, ceramide and cholesteryl sulfate in the chylomicrons from both oil and ester feeding. The dietary fatty acids were found to be incorporated to a variable extent into the different phospholipid classes, the proportions of which remained the same during both types of feeding. No evidence was obtained for the presence of the minor glycerophospholipids characteristic of the lysosomal membranes (e.g., bis-phosphatidic, lysobisphosphatidic and semilysobis-phosphatidic acids), although special efforts were made to identify them. These results indicate that the chylomicrons arising from the monoacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid pathways of triacylglycerol biosynthesis become enveloped in closely similar monolayers of phospholipids. Hence, all triacylglycerols may be secreted from the villus cells via a common mechanism as suggested by the previously demonstrated convergence (at the 2-monoacylglycerol stage) of the monoacylglycerol and the phosphatidic acid pathways of mucosal triacylglycerol formation [Yang, Y.L., and Kuksis, A. (1991) J. Lipid Res. 32, 1173-1186].