Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 19, 2026

The Use of Gas Chromatography to Analyze Compositional Changes of Fatty Acids in Rat Liver Tissue during Pregnancy
11:08

The Use of Gas Chromatography to Analyze Compositional Changes of Fatty Acids in Rat Liver Tissue during Pregnancy

Published on: March 13, 2014

Selective changes to phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine molecular species in the developing fetal

Graham C Burdge1, Anthony D Postle

  • 1Institute of Human Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK. g.c.burdge@soton.ac.uk

Reproduction, Nutrition, Development
|March 15, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Fetal liver phospholipid composition, including phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), changes selectively with gestational age. These developmental shifts in liver PC and PE species are largely independent of maternal fatty acid supply.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Developmental Biology
  • Lipidomics

Background:

  • Membrane phospholipid molecular species composition critically impacts integral protein function and cellular signaling.
  • Understanding developmental changes in fetal lipid profiles is essential for assessing metabolic health and developmental trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of advancing gestational age on the molecular species composition of fetal guinea pig liver phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE).
  • To analyze the changes in plasma PC molecular species composition during fetal development.
  • To determine if maternal fatty acid supply influences these developmental changes.

Main Methods:

  • Fetal guinea pig livers and plasma were collected at regular intervals (every 5 days from 40 to 65 days of gestation, and at term - 68 days).
  • Hepatic and plasma PC and PE molecular species were quantified using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.
  • Statistical analysis was performed to identify significant changes in lipid species concentrations relative to gestational age.

Main Results:

  • Increasing gestational age led to selective alterations in specific hepatic PC and PE molecular species.
  • The ratio of sn-1 18:0 to sn-1 16:0 species increased in liver PC but not PE.
  • Concentrations of 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl PC species decreased significantly during specific gestational periods, while 1-O-alkenyl-2-acyl PE species showed a transient increase.
  • PC and PE sn-2 18:2n-6 species concentrations tripled from day 40 to term, with differential increases observed for specific PC and PE species.
  • Plasma PC composition mirrored the changes observed in hepatic PC.

Conclusions:

  • Fetal liver PC and PE molecular species composition undergo differential regulation during development.
  • These developmental changes appear to be largely independent of maternal fatty acid supply.
  • The findings highlight the intricate control over lipid metabolism during late gestation.

More Related Videos

Radiolabeling and Quantification of Cellular Levels of Phosphoinositides by High Performance Liquid Chromatography-coupled Flow Scintillation10:52

Radiolabeling and Quantification of Cellular Levels of Phosphoinositides by High Performance Liquid Chromatography-coupled Flow Scintillation

Published on: January 6, 2016

In Vitro Assay to Measure Phosphatidylethanolamine Methyltransferase Activity09:33

In Vitro Assay to Measure Phosphatidylethanolamine Methyltransferase Activity

Published on: January 5, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Synthesis of Phosphatidylcholine in the ER Membrane01:27

Synthesis of Phosphatidylcholine in the ER Membrane

The ER synthesizes lipids for building cell membranes and performing cellular functions such as energy storage and signaling. The lipid synthesis machinery embedded in the ER membrane primarily collects all reactants from the cytosol. Following synthesis, the secretory pathway and the ER contact sites distribute these lipids to other cellular organelles. Additionally, the energy-rich triacylglycerides are transported from the ER via lipid droplets.
The major components of all eukaryotic cell...
Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism01:28

Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism

Lipids also are sources of energy that power cellular processes. Like carbohydrates, lipids are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, but these atoms are arranged differently. Most lipids are nonpolar and hydrophobic. Major types include fats and oils, waxes, phospholipids, and steroids.
Fatty acids are catabolized in a process called beta-oxidation, which takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria and converts their fatty acid chains into two-carbon units of acetyl groups. The acetyl...
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer01:35

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

Biological membranes show uneven distribution of different types of lipids in the inner and outer layers, resulting in transverse asymmetric membranes. The treatment of the erythrocyte membrane with the enzyme phospholipase confirmed the asymmetric nature of the lipid bilayer. The enzyme hydrolyzes lipids into fatty acids and hydrophilic groups. The phospholipase acts only on the outer layer of the membrane, while the inner layer remains intact. The phospholipase treatment resulted in 80%...
Phosphoinositides and PIPs01:42

Phosphoinositides and PIPs

Phosphoinositides are a group of phospholipids containing a glycerol backbone with two fatty acid chains and a phosphate attached to a myoinositol sugar ring. The inositol head group extends into the cytoplasm, where it is modified by adding phosphate groups to form phosphatidylinositol phosphates or PIPs.
Different phosphoinositides are synthesized and recruited on the cytosolic face of the plasma membrane. The localization of specific phosphoinositides concentrated in separate membrane...