Synthesis of various phospholipids from 2-acyl lysophospholipids by Escherichia coli extract

When 2-[14C]acyl lysophosphatidylethanolamine was incubated with the envelope fraction of E. coli in the presence of Mg2+ ion, phosphatidylethanolamine, acylphosphatidylglycerol and free fatty acid were produced. When 2-[14C]acyl lysophosphatidylglycerol was examined similarly, six phospholipids as well as free fatty acid were produced. These were dilysocardiolipin, lysocardiolipin, phosphatidylglycerol, cardiolipin, bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate and acylphosphatidylglycerol; they were identified by thin layer chromatography, acetolysis and mild alkaline hydrolysis. Studies with an E. coli mutant which is deficient in cardiolipin synthase showed that dilysocardioilipin, lysocardiolipin and cardiolipin were synthesized by cardiolipin synthase. Bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate as well as acylphosphatidylglycerol was produced by acylphosphatidylglycerol synthase. While phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin were produced predominantly from 2-acyl lysophosphatidylglycerol, almost the same amounts of dilysocardiolipin, lysocardiolipin and bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate were produced from the 1-acyl and 2-acyl isomers. Metabolites of 2-[14C]acyl lysophosphatidic acid were also examined. Phosphatidic acid, acylphosphatidylglycerol, free fatty acid and monoglyceride were produced, together with a small amount of diglyceride.