Semi-synthetic approach for the preparation of homogeneous plasmenylethanolamine utilizing phospholipase D from Streptomyces chromofuscus.

A simple method for the preparation of homogeneous molecular species of plasmenylcholine and plasmenylethanolamine was developed. The method utilized reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography to isolate homogeneous molecular species of plasmenylcholine prepared by acylation of lysoplasmenylcholine. Plasmenylcholine was directly converted to plasmenylethanolamine by transphosphatidylation utilizing phospholipase D from Streptomyces chromofuscus. This method permits the facile labeling of homogeneous molecular species of plasmalogens in the polar head group, the sn-2 acyl chain, or both, for the first time.