Journal of Lipid Research, Vol 35, 1283-1291, Copyright © 1994 by Lipid Research, Inc.

ARTICLES

Asymmetric incorporation of dietary n-3 fatty acids into membrane aminophospholipids of human erythrocytes

HR Knapp, F Hullin and N Salem Jr
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa.

Dietary supplementation with different classes of polyunsaturate fatty acids is known to result in their incorporation into cell membranes, but the effects of this on eicosanoid formation and other cell functions frequently does not correspond to the degree of alteration in total membrane fatty acids. This phenomenon may be related to the compartmentalization of polyunsaturate fatty acids both within the organelles and within membranes. Aminophospholipids are asymmetrically distributed across the membrane bilayers of most human cells. These phospholipids are highly enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids, and are known to have specific interactions with a number of membrane proteins. To determine whether dietary n-3 fatty acids are preferentially incorporated into membrane lipids in a particular spatial pattern, we have utilized the nonpermeant aminophospholipid probe, trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid, to study the transmembrane molecular species distribution of human erythrocyte ethanolamine phospholipids and phosphatidylserines before and at the end of 4 weeks of dietary supplementation with n-3 fatty acids. Selective incorporation of n-3 fatty acids occurred in the inner membrane leaflet ethanolamine phospholipids, particularly into the alkenyl-acyl species. The n-3 species in phosphatidylserines, particularly 18:0 and 22:6 n-3 (sn-1 and sn-2, respectively), replaced n-6 and n-9 species. These data may provide a basis for different cell responses to n-3 fatty acid enrichment, and for different degrees of diet-induced alteration in responses involving inner and outer membrane leaflet functions.
CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. V. Polozov and K. Gawrisch Domains in Binary SOPC/POPE Lipid Mixtures Studied by Pulsed Field Gradient 1H MAS NMR Biophys. J., September 1, 2004; 87(3): 1741 - 1751. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. R. Shaikh, A. C. Dumaual, A. Castillo, D. LoCascio, R. A. Siddiqui, W. Stillwell, and S. R. Wassall Oleic and Docosahexaenoic Acid Differentially Phase Separate from Lipid Raft Molecules: A Comparative NMR, DSC, AFM, and Detergent Extraction Study Biophys. J., September 1, 2004; 87(3): 1752 - 1766. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Mabile, A. Piolot, L. Boulet, L.-J. Fortin, N. Doyle, C. Rodriguez, J. Davignon, D. Blache, and S. Lussier-Cacan Moderate intake of n-3 fatty acids is associated with stable erythrocyte resistance to oxidative stress in hypertriglyceridemic subjects Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2001; 74(4): 449 - 456. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]