Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 11, 54-59, January 1970
Copyright © 1970 by Lipid Research, Inc.

Composition of human serum sphingomyelins

E. L. Hirvisalo and O. Renkonen

Wihuri Research Institute, and Department of Biochemistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

Serum sphingomyelins were analyzed by argentation chromatography of the corresponding ceramide diacetates. Six subfractions were obtained. Three of them contained 4-sphingenines in combination with saturated, trans-, or cis-monoenoic fatty acids; the remaining three contained sphingadienine, also in combination with saturated, trans-, or cis-monoenoic fatty acids. Palmitic acid was the principal fatty acid combined with 4-sphingenines, while nervonic acid was the principal fatty acid combined with sphingadienine. About 4% of the total fatty acids of sphingomyelin were trans-monoenoic. They were comprised of many positional isomers of straight-chain C_22-24 compounds. The cis-monoenoic acids made up 33% of the total acids and consisted of almost pure nervonic acid. The rest of the acids were saturated. The 4-sphingenines contained small amounts of iso-C₁₈ and anteiso-C₁₉ compounds in addition to the straight-chain C_16-18 bases.

Supplementary key words trans-monoenoic fatty acids • positional isomers • branched-chain 4-sphingenines • ceramide diacetates • argentation TLC • diet • chain elongation • nonrandom combinations of long-chain bases and fatty acids

Submitted on June 9, 1969
Revised on September 29, 1969
Accepted on October 15, 1969

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?