Lipase hydrolysis of mammalian long-chain 1,2-alkanediol diesters. Nonrandom distribution of fatty acids.

Long-chain 1,2-alkanediol diesters were isolated from the total surface lipids of golden Syrian hamsters and Swiss albino mice. Hydrolysis of the diol diester waxes with exocellular lipase from Rhizopus arrhizus delemar or with purified porcine pancreatic lipase produced free fatty acids and 2-acyl diols in about 60--80% yield. Nonrandom distribution of the constituent fatty acids at positions 1 and 2 of the alkanediols was observed. In the diester waxes from the hamster, both straight-chain and branched-chain fatty acids of 14 to 20 carbon atoms predominated at position 1 and those of 22 to 26 carbon atoms at position 2. In contrast, the diester waxes of the mouse contained mainly fatty acids of less than 19 carbon atoms, both saturated and monounsaturated, at position 2 and those of greater chain length (20 to 24 carbon atoms) at position 1. The results of the lipase hydrolysis were confirmed by degradation of the diester waxes with Grignard reagent.