Molecular species of mono-, di-, and triphosphoinositides of bovine brain.

The mono-, di-, and triphosphoinositides of bovine brain were isolated by chromatography on columns of DEAE-cellulose, alumina, and silicic acid. The major molecular species in each phosphoinositide class were identified and quantitatively estimated by combined thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography of the component diglycerides, which were released by hydrolysis with a specific brain phosphodiesterase. The diglycerides were treated with pancreatic lipase, and the positional distribution of the fatty acids was determined. Over 27 molecular species were identified, and these accounted for about 95% of each phosphoinositide class, but the 1-stearate 2-arachidonate derivative contributed more than 40% of the total in each class. The other molecular species also were qualitatively and quantitatively similar in the three phosphoinositide classes. All the long-chain and polyunsaturated acids were confined to the 2-position and were preferentially paired with stearic acid in the 1-position. Oleic acid in the 2-position was about equally divided between species with palmitic and stearic acids in the 1-position. These results suggest that the mono-, di-, and triphosphoinositides of the bovine brain have similar compositions and that the various molecular species may be metabolically related.