title: Phospholipids from the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: The phospholipid and the fatty chain compositions of diacyl, alkylacyl and alkenylacyl glycerophospholipids of the free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, were investigated. The phospholipids were comprised of 54.5% ethanolamine glycerophospholipid (EGP), 32.3% choline glycerophospholipid (CGP), 8.1% sphingomyelin and 5.1% others. The most abundant fatty acid in CGP was eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3). The fatty acids in CGP were more unsaturated than those in EGP. Alkenylacyl and alkylacyl subclasses accounted for 1.0 and 2.6%, respectively, of CGP and 14.0 and 19.6%, respectively, of EGP. At least 80% of the alkenyl and alkyl groups were 18:0 chains and the remaining were odd numbered chains. The potential presence of platelet-activating factor (PAF) was examined by bioassay, but PAF-like activity was not detected in the extracts of this nematode.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, Fukuyama University, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Satouchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakaguchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takehara
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Matsuura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000737:chemistry*; D004926:Escherichia coli; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000032:analysis; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000032:analysis; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis*; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; D010743:Phospholipids; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor