Phospholipid molecular species of frog rod outer segment membranes

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were isolated from frog retinal rod outer segment (ROS) membranes and their major molecular species determined. Saturated fatty acids are predominantly located on position-1 and polyunsaturates on position-2, although this assignment is not absolute. One-fifth of the species of PC are of the saturated and monoenoic type, compared to only trace amounts of these species in PE. On the other hand, PE contains at least 50% dipolyunsaturated species, while PC has 6%. The predominant molecular species of frog PC are: 18:0-22:6 omega 3 (39%), 16:0-22:6 omega 3 (17%), 16:0-16:1 (6%), 16:0-18:1 (5%) and 16:0-16:0 (4%). The major molecular species of frog PE are: 22:6 omega 3-22:6 omega 3 (21%), 18:0-22:6 omega 3 (18%), 18:1-22:6 omega 3 (14%), 22:4 omega 6-22:6 omega 3 (10%), 22:5 omega (3 + 6)-22:6 omega 3 (10%), 16:0-22:6 omega 3 (7%) and 20:4 omega 6-22:6 omega 3 (5%). The specific molecular species are discussed in relation to their effect on fluidity and asymmetry of ROS disc membranes.