Selective incorporation of polyunsaturated fatty acids into organelle phospholipids of animal cells.

The selective incorporation of linoleic (18:2(n-6)) and docosahexaenoic (22:6(n-3)) acids into phospholipids of mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and plasma membrane was investigated by changing the ratio of 22:6(n-3) against 18:2(n-6) in a medium, in which Chinese hamster V79-R cells were grown. In those organelles, 18:2(n-6) and its elongation product (eicosadienoic acid) (20:2 (n-6)) were predominantly incorporated into phosphatidylcholine. However, 22:6(n-3) was incorporated more selectively into phosphatidylethanolamine than 18:2(n-6) and 20:2(n-6).