Turnover rates of the molecular species of ethanolamine plasmalogen of rat brain.

1,2-Diradyl-3-acetylglycerols prepared from 1-O-alk-1'-enyl-2-acylglycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (alkenylacyl-GPE, ethanolamine plasmalogen) and 1-alkyl-2-acylglycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (alkylacyl-GPE) of rat brain at 18 days of age were subfractionated into six species by AgNO3-impregnated TLC. The percent compositions of substractions were compared with that of 1,2-diacylglycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (diacyl-GPE). The incorporation rate of [1-3H]glycerol into each molecular species was also estimated to examine the turnover rate and selective synthesis of molecular species of ethanolamine phosphoglycerides (EPG). Among the molecular species of EPG, a major proportion contained polyunsaturated fatty chains, and the sum of tetraene-, pentaene-, and hexaene-containing species was greater than 65% in common with three classes of EPG. It was possible to calculate the turnover time, synthesis rate, and synthesis rate constant of ethanolamine plasmalogen in myelinating rat brain by the equation of Zilversmit et al. since the time-dependent change of specific activity and the distribution of molecular species indicated that each molecular species of alkenylacyl-GPE is synthesized from the corresponding species of alkylacyl-GPE. The observed turnover time of ethanolamine plasmalogen was about 5 h. The observed turnover times of the various molecular species were of the order: tetraene greater than or equal to hexaene greater than pentaene greater than or equal to monoene greater than or equal to diene. The synthesis rate constants of each molecular species, in the formation of alkenylacyl-GPE from alkylacyl-GPE, were of the order: hexaene greater than tetraene greater than pentaene greater than diene greater than or equal to monoene.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)