Journal of Lipid Research, Vol 26, 882-888, Copyright © 1985 by Lipid Research, Inc.
Use of 31PNMR spectroscopy to follow the time course of phosphatidylcholine chemical synthesis
PR Meers and GW Feigenson
31PNMR spectroscopy is shown to be useful for studying the chemical
synthesis of phosphatidylcholine from phosphatidic acid and choline. Sharp,
well-resolved resonances were obtained by chelating multivalent cations,
thereby enabling quantitation of reactants, products, and intermediates.
The syntheses of several types of phosphatidylcholines were monitored by
31PNMR spectroscopy, including perdeuterated and headgroup spin-labeled
molecules. For perdeuterated phosphatidylcholines, this analysis led to
reaction conditions giving much better conversion to product than
conditions previously observed. In addition, a polyphosphate side-product
was identified in reactions which do not produce phosphatidylcholine,
implying either a polyphosphate intermediate in the reaction mechanism, or
else a competing side reaction.