Diacylglycerol pyrophosphate, a novel phospholipid compound.

In studies on lipid kinase activities of microsomal membranes from cultured plant cells a new, hitherto unknown, lipid kinase product was detected. The new phospholipid, labeled by [gamma-32P]ATP, could be separated from known phospholipid species by thin layer chromatography using different solvent mixtures. After partial purification of the related enzyme activity, the substrate of the unknown lipid kinase was elucidated as phosphatidic acid. With authentic phosphatidic acid and partially purified enzyme, the lipid kinase product was prepared in mg quantities and its structure was determined by mass spectrometry and NMR analyses as diacylglycerol pyrophosphate, a hitherto unknown phospholipid. The possible physiological role of this novel phospholipid metabolite is discussed.