Phospholipid composition of Dipylidium caninum

The phospholipid composition of Dipylidium caninum has been studied. Chloroform-methanol-soluble fraction amounted to 2.4% and phospholipids to 0.5% of the wet weight of the parasite. Phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine represented the bulk of the phospholipids, whereas phosphatidyl serine, phosphatidyl inositol, lysolecithin and lysophosphatidyl ethanolamine were present in minor amounts. Sulfatides were also identified in this parasite.     

Lipid composition ofMicrosporum gypseum

Summary The lipid composition ofMicrosporum gypseum has been studied. The lipids amounted to 10.1% and phospholipids to 1.1% of the mycelial dry weight. Phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl serine and phosphatidyl ethanolamine were the major components, while lysophosphatidyl choline, and phosphatidyl inositol were present in smaller quantities. Neutral lipids consisted of monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, free and esterified cholesterol.Acknowledgments: Thanks are due to Prof. P. Talwar, Department of Microbiology of this Institute for the supply ofM. gypseum. Technical assistance of Mr Adarsh Kumar is acknowledged.     

On the phospholipids of adultAncylostoma caninum

Summary The phospholipid composition ofAncylostoma caninum has been examined. Phospholipids amounted to 0.9% of the wet weight of the parasite. Ethanolamine and choline containing lipids comprised about 76% of the total phospholipids. Lysolecithin, sphingomyelin, phosphatidyl inositol and phosphatidyl serine were present in minor amounts. Cerebrosides and sulfatides were also identified.Acknowledgements. We wish to acknowledge the contributions of Mr Ashok Chopra in the initial part of this work. Thanks are due to Mr Adarsh Kumar for skilled assistance.     

Alterations in the phospholipid composition ofNocardia polychromogenes during growth

Summary The major phospholipid classes ofNocardia polychromogenes were quantitated at different stages of the growth cycle. Significant differences were observed both in the total lipid phosphorus per g (dry weight) of cells, and in the relative percentages of individual phospholipids. The total amount of lipid-phosphorus increased throughout the growth cycle. Cardiolipin and phosphoinositides contents increased with significant decrease in phosphatidyl ethanolamine and unknown phospholipids.Acknowledgments. This investigation was supported in part by a grant from the Indian Council of Medical Research. Technical assistance of Mr Adarsh Kumar is acknowledged.     

Alterations in the phospholipid composition of Nocardia polychromogenes during growth.

The major phospholipid classes of Nocardia polychromogenes were quantitated at different stages of the growth cycle. Significant differences were observed both in the total lipid phosphorus per g (dry weight) of cells, and in the relative percentages of individual phospholipids. The total amount of lipid-phosphorus increased throughout the growth cycle. Cardiolipin and phosphoinositides contents increased with significant decrease in phosphatidyl ethanolamine and unknown phospholipids.     

The mannophosphoinositides ofNocardia asteroides

Summary The phospholipid ofN. asteroides has been investigated. It was found to contain phosphatidyl ethanolamine, cardiolipin, phosphatidyl inositol and a family of mannophosphoinositides. Dimannophosphoinositides with 3 and 4 moles of fatty acid per phosphate residue represented the major glycophospholipids besides small amounts of other more glycosylated mannophosphoinositides.     

Pressure acclimation of the eel and liver membrane composition

Homeoviscous adaptation of membrane fluidity is known to exist in fish living at great depths. Is this adaptation also present in fish living near the surface but experimentally acclimated to high pressure? The composition of mitochondria-rich fractions extracted from the livers of eels acclimated for 15 days at 101 ATA was determined. The results show that pressure induced a significant increase (+100%) of total phospholipids (PL) and cholesterol without a change in their ratio. The increase of PL content was accompanied by a decrease in phosphatidylcholine in favour of phosphatidyl ethanolamine which, due to its preference for the H₁₁ form, is able to compensate for the loss in fluidity induced by pressure.     

The mannophosphoinositides of Nocardia asteroides.

The phospholipid of N. asteroides has been investigated. It was found to contain phosphatidyl ethanolamine, cardiolipin, phosphatidyl inositol and a family of mannophosphoinositides. Dimannophosphoinositides with 3 and 4 moles of fatty acid per phosphate residue represented the major glycophospholipids besides small amounts of other more glycosylated mannophosphoinositides.     

Effect of dipyridamole on human platelet phospholipids

Summary The effect of dipyridamole on platelet phospholipids has been studied. After the platelet incubation with dipyridamole, a 38% reduction in the concentration of the sphingomyelin and a 21% increase in phosphatidyl choline were produced.     

Effect of dipyridamole on human platelet phospholipids.

The effect of dipyridamole on platelet phospholipids has been studied. After the platelet incubation with dipyridamole, a 38% reduction in the concentration of the sphingomyelin and a 21% increase in phosphatidyl choline were produced.     

Changes in phospholipid composition ofNocardia polychromogenes during temperature adaptation

Summary The effect of growth temperature on the phospholipid composition of Nocardia polychromogenes has been examined. When the growth temperature was decreased from 37°C to 27°C, there was a large decrease in phosphatidyl ethanolamine with an increase in cardiolipin and phosphoinositides. These changes are discussed in context with the control of membrane fluidity.Acknowledgment. This investigation was financed in part by a grant from the Indian Council of Medical Research. Technical assistance of Mr Adarsh Kumar is acknowledged.     

Evidence for the metabolism of phospholipids and triacylglycerols in humanAscaris lumbricoides

Summary HumanAscaris lumbricoides has the necessary mechanism for the biosynthesis and degradation of phospholipids and triacylglycerols, as in most other species. Piperazine decreases the level of triacylglycerols of this parasite by stimulating the activity of lipase and partially inhibiting the activity of phosphatidate phosphatase.Acknowledgments. Thanks are due to the University of Kerala for facilities provided, Dr T. Ramasarma of the I.I. Sc., Bangalore for help in the labelling studies, Dr. G. D. Cain of the University of Iowa for valuable comments and Dr P. Vijayagopal of ANU for the gift of CDP-choline.     

Characterization and localization of the rat,mouse and human testicular phosphatidylethanolamine binding protein

A cytosolic 23kDa protein was initially puified from bovine brain and shown to bind phosphatidylethanolamine. Later, it was also characterized in rat and human brain, and it is now known to be widespread, having been found in numerous tisues in several species. Here, we report the high level of mRNA and phosphatidyl ethanolamine binding protein expression in rat testis and to a lesser extent mouse testis. In human testis, although it was not detectable by Northern blot analysis, the mRNA was shown be present when PCR amplificatin was performed. Immunohistochemical experiments revealed that the testicular phosphatidylethanolamine binding protein (tPBP) is principally expressed in the elongated spermatids of both rat and mouse testis. This finding, and the association of tPBP with cellular membranes, suggest its possible implication in membrane remodelling during spermatid maturation.     

Role of phospholipid transfer protein in rabbit lung development

A 36-kDa phospholipid transfer protein (PLT-P_R), which preferentially transfers phosphatidyl choline (PC) compared to phosphatidyl inositol (PI), was purified 827-fold from rabbit lung homogenate. Incorporation of cholesterol in unilamellar vesicles reduced the PC transfer activity of PLTP_R. Dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline uptake by alveolar type II cells was increased in the presence of the protein, and further enhanced in the presence of surfactant liposomes. However, a decrease in uptake was noted with cholesterol in host membranes. Incorporation of PI into host membranes had a low stimulatory effect on the process. All these effects were more pronounced in adult type II cells compared to premature, term and 3-day-old pups. Received 12 September 2001; accepted 11 October 2001     

Encapsulation ofPsorospermium haeckeli by the haemocytes ofAstacus leptodactylus

Summary Psorospermium haeckeli, a parasite of freshwater crayfish, has sometimes been observed encapsulated within the tissues ofAstacus leptodactylus. This observation does not agree with earlier reports. The lack of tolerance is discussed in relation to variations affecting either the parasite or its host.     

Eicosapentaenoic acid in tissue lipids ofPieris brassicae

Summary Larvae of the cabbage white butterfly,Pieris brassicae, have a dietary requirement for linolenic acid (C183n3) and were found to accumulate two other members of the n-3 family, C203n3 and C205n3 (eicosapentaenoic acid) especially in testicular phospholipids. Arachidonic acid was observed in trace amounts only. During diapause the relative titer of eicosapentaenoic acid increased in testicular phospholipids to about 4.2% of the fatty acids. Eicosapentaenoic acid is a possible precursor of prostaglandins, suggesting that prostaglandins of the 3-series predominate in this insect.     

A peculiar fatty acid, (Z,Z)-9,12,17-octadecatrienoic acid,identified in the phospholipids of the pea aphid,Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (homoptera: aphididae)

A peculiar fatty acid previously detected in the phospholipids of the pea aphid,Acyrthosiphon pisum, is identified as (Z,Z)-9,12,17-octadecatrienoic acid. It is the first report of this compound in the literature. Comparison of fatty acid profiles of phospholipids between normal and aposymbiotic pea aphids shows that aphid symbionts are not responsible for the biosynthesis of this unusual fatty acid.     

Effect of growth factor deficiency on nystatin sensitivity inSaccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary The nystatin sensitivity, as well as the levels of total sterols and individual phospholipids ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae are influenced by variations in the supply of growth factors.     

DiC14-amidine confers new anti-inflammatory properties to phospholipids

The inflammatory effect of unmethylated CpG DNA sequences represents a major obstacle to the use of cationic lipids for in vivo gene therapy. Although the mechanism of CpG-induced inflammatory response is rather well understood nowadays, few solutions have been designed to circumvent this effect in gene therapy experiments. Our previous work has shown that a refractory state towards inflammation can be elicited by preinjecting cationic liposomes. Here, we present evidence that diC14-amidine liposomes confer new anti-inflammatory properties to phospholipids from low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and even to synthetic phospholipids for which such an observation has not been reported so far. Whereas oxidation of LDL lipids was a prerequisite for any anti-inflammatory activity, lipid oxidation is no longer required in our experiments, suggesting that cationic lipids transport phospholipids through a different route and affect different pathways.This opens up new possibilities for manipulating inflammatory responses in gene therapy protocols but also in a general manner in immunological experiments. Received 12 November 2007; received after revision 4 December 2007; accepted 4 December 2007