Journal of Lipid Research, Vol 32, 157-164, Copyright © 1991 by Lipid Research, Inc.
Lipid composition of lysosomal multilamellar bodies of male mouse urine
SK Gross, PF Daniel, JE Evans and RH McCluer
Department of Biochemistry, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, Waltham, MA 02254.
Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that male C57BL/6J mice
excrete into the urine multilamellar lysosomal bodies that contain specific
neutral glycosphingolipids. These mice excrete approximately 20-30% of
their kidney glycolipids each day. The significance and function of this
secretion of multilamellar lysosomal organelles is unknown. To characterize
these excreted bodies further, we report here their neutral lipid and
phospholipid composition. The bodies were collected by differential
centrifugation, extracted with chloroform- methanol, and lipids were
fractionated into neutral lipids, glycolipids, and phospholipids. The
neutral lipids consisted primarily of cholesterol, dolichol, and
ubiquinone. The phospholipid fraction consisted primarily of a single
molecular species of phosphatidylcholine. This lipid which comprises more
than 90% of the total phospholipids was found to contain 16:0 ether and
C22:6 n-3 fatty acid as determined by gas-liquid chromatography-mass
spectrometry. The glycosphingolipids as reported previously consisted
primarily of galabiosylceramides and globotriaosylceramides. This membrane
lipid composition is different from any previously reported cellular
organelle.