The Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 39, 1907-1917, October 1998
Copyright © 1998 by Lipid Research, Inc.
Characterizations of Pneumocystis carinii and rat lung lipids: glyceryl ethers and fatty alcohols
Edna S. Kaneshiroa,
Zengkui Guoa,
Donggeun Sula,
Kathryn A. Kallama,
Koka Jayasimhulub, and
David H. Beachc
a Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221
b Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267
c Department of Microbiology and Immunology, State University of New York Health Science Center, Syracuse, NY 13210
Correspondence to:
Edna S. Kaneshiro.
Pneumocystis carinii carinii and rat lung phospholipids contained 36% 1-alkyl-2-acyl glycerols composed of the glyceryl ether species, 1-O-octadecyl glycerol (batyl alcohol), 1-O-octadec-9-enyl glycerol (selachyl alcohol), 1-O-hexadecyl glycerol (chimyl alcohol), and 1-O-hexadec-9-enyl glycerol. Of the major phospholipid classes, phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylserine contained the highest percentage of alkyl acyl glycerols. Methylprednisolone treatment caused an increase in alkyl acyl PI of rat lung lipids from 12% to 45%. As the PI concentration in lung phospholipids increases in rats treated with methylprednisolone, the increase in alkyl acyl PI was substantial; the proportions of alkyl acyl phosphatidylethanolamine and alkyl acyl lyso phosphatidylcholine (PC) also increased. Pneumocystis phospholipids contained higher proportions of alkyl acyl PC than the phospholipids of the lungs from normal and immunosuppressed uninfected rats.
The glyceryl ether compositions of P. carinii carinii PC and lyso PC were similar, which suggests that lyso PC in the organism is derived by phospholipase A2 action on PC. This was not the case for PC and lyso PC of the lung controls. Analysis of the free fatty alcohols, precursors of glyceryl ethers identified only saturated species in P. carinii carinii and rat lung controls. Thus, the introduction of a double bond in the alcohol moiety of glyceryl ethers occurs after formation of the ether linkage between fatty alcohol and the glyceryl backbone.Kaneshiro, E. S., Z. Guo, D. Sul, K. A. Kallam, K. Jayasimhulu, and D. H. Beach. Characterization of Pneumocystis carinii and rat lung lipids: glyceryl ethers and fatty alcohols. J. Lipid. Res. 1998. 39: 19071917.
Supplementary key words:
AIDS, batyl alcohol, chimyl alcohol, long chain alcohols, 1-O-hexadec-9-enyl glycerol, 1-O-octadec-9-enyl glycerol, phospholipids