An improved two dimensional thin-layer chromatography system for the separation of phosphatidylglycerol and its derivatives.

A two dimensional thin-layer chromatography system has been devised for the improved separations of phosphatidylglycerol and its derivaties, cardiolipin and bis/monoacylglyceryl)phosphate, from the other phospholipid components of tissue total lipid extracts. The system employs silica gel G plates prepared with 0.4 M boric acid. Linear recovery of added phosphatidylglycerol was found, and phosphatidylglycerol did not cochromatograph with N, N-dimethylphosphatidylethanolamine in this system. The phospholipid class composition of various rat tissues and a Morris 7777 hepatoma has been determined and compared with values from the literature.