Differential susceptibility of mono- and di-O-alkyl ether phosphoglycerides to acetolysis

The effectiveness of acetolysis as a tool in structural characterization of mono- and di-O-alkyl phosphoglycerides was investigated. Surprisingly, it was found that the di-O-alkyl phosphoglycerides were resistant to attack during acetolysis, whereas the mono-ether types, with a free hydroxyl function or an ester on carbon-2, were easily attacked at the glycerol-phosphate bond. On the other hand, Vitride reduction occurred readily with the mono-ether or di-ether phosphoglycerides. The implications of these findings as they relate to identification of ether phospholipids in tissues are discussed.