Studies on the metabolism of lipid molecular species in immature soybean cotyledons

Metabolism of lipid molecular species in soybean cotyledons (Glycine max [L.] Merr. var. "Harosoy 63") was determined from incorporation studies with radioactive acetate and glycerol. Lipid synthetic activity was highest in immature cotyledons at 30 days after flowering. Distinct differences in labeling patterns of molecular species within lipid classes demonstrated that selective utilization of diglyceride intermediates occurred in complex lipid biosynthesis in soybean. The phospholipid molecular species in this tissue that displayed the highest turnover rates had the following acyl combinations: saturate-linoleic and dioleic in phosphatidic acid; saturate-oleic in phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylethanolamine; dioleic in phosphatidylcholine; oleic-dilinoleic in N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine. Saturate-dilinoleic, oleic-dilinoleic, trioleic, and trilinoleic structures were rapidly synthesized species of triglyceride in immature soybean cotyledons.