SYNTHESIS OF MOLECULAR-SPECIES OF PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE AND PHOSPHATIDYLETHANOLAMINE BY GERMINATING SOYA BEAN

The composition and metabolism of phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylethanolamines of germinating soybean (Glycine max) were examined. Both phospholipids have a very similar fatty acid composition and distribution, with saturated acids located at the 1- position. The fatty acid composition and relative amounts of individual molecular species of the 2 phospholipids were also very similar. The relative amounts of the species were in the order tetraenoic > pentaenoic > trienoic = dienoic = monoenoic. The labeling of the molecular species from choline methyl [14C] or ethanolamine [2-14C] showed considerable differences. Phosphatidylethanolamine-[14C] showed 58% label in trienoic, 17% in tetraenoic, 18% in pentaneoic and 5% in dienoic species 48 h after germination. The equivalent figures for phosphatidylcholine-[14C] were 37, 34, 13 and 15%, respectively. An increase in labeling of the more unsaturated species was seen with time.