Phospholipids chiral at phosphorus. Synthesis of chiral phosphatidylcholine and stereochemistry of phospholipase D.

Chirally labeled 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholines (DPPC) with known configuration were synthesized by N-methylation of chirally labeled 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DPPE). Transphosphatidylation of (RP)- and (SP)-[18O]DPPC catalyzed by phospholipase D from cabbage gave (RP)- and (SP)-[18O]DPPE, respectively, as indicated by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis of [18O]DPPE. Therefore, phospholipase D catalyzes transphosphatidylation with overall retention of configuration at phosphorus. The steric course of hydrolysis of DPPC catalyzed by the same enzyme was elucidated by the following procedures. Hydrolysis of (RP)-[17O, 18O]DPPC by phospholipase D gave 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-[ 16O , 17O, 18O]phosphate ( [ 16O , 17O, 18O] DPPA ) with unknown configuration. The latter compound was then converted to 1-[ 16O , 17O, 18O]phospho-(R)-propane-1,2-diol by a procedure involving no P-O bond cleavage [ Bruzik , K., & Tsai, M.-D. (1984) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 106, 747-754]. The configuration of the phosphopropane -1,2-diol was determined as RP by 31P NMR analysis following ring closure and methylation [ Buchwald , S. L., & Knowles, J. R. (1980) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 102, 6601-6603]. The results indicated that hydrolysis of DPPC catalyzed by phospholipase D also proceeds with retention of configuration at phosphorus. Our results therefore support a two-step mechanism involving a phosphatidyl-enzyme intermediate in the reactions catalyzed by phospholipase D from cabbage.