Occurrence of phosphatidylsulfocholine, the sulfonium analog of phosphatidylcholine in some diatoms and algae
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Updated: Sep 23, 2026

Single-molecule Super-resolution Imaging of Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate in the Plasma Membrane with Novel Fluorescent Probes
Published on: October 15, 2016
Abstract:
A survey of seven species of diatoms, one Euglena sp. and one dinoflagellate sp. for the presence of phosphatidylsulfocholine (PSC), the sulfonium analog of phosphatidylcholine (PC), was carried out using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and ammonia desorption chemical ionization mass spectrometry. PSC alone was found only in a non-photosynthetic diatom, Nitzschia alba. PSC, together with PC, was found in four of the diatoms (Nitzschia angularis, Cylindrotheca fusiformis, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Navicula pelliculosa) in proportions of 6-24% of the total PC + PSC fraction, but little or no PSC (less than 2%) was detected in the remaining two (Cyclotella nana and Navicula incerta). Little or no PSC (less than 2%) was detected in a Euglena sp. by 1H-NMR but its presence was confirmed by 35S-labeling. The amount of PSC, if any, in the dinoflagellate (Amphidinium carterae) was below the level of detection by 1H-NMR.
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