Biosynthesis of mitochondrial phospholipids using endogenously generated diglycerides.

When isolated mitochondria or microsomes from rat liver were treated with phospholipase C, the incorporation of radioactive phospholipid precursors was markedly enhanced, presumably as a result of production of diglycerides by hydrolysis of endogenous phospholipids. Incorporation of CDP[14C]choline into lecithin in rat liver or BHK-21 mitochondria could be attributed to residual contamination from elements of the endoplasmic reticulum, with added diglycerides or with endogenous diglycerides produced by the phospholipase C treatment. A similar stimulation of [gamma32P]ATP incorporation into phospholipids was observed with exogenous or endogenous diglycerides, but the mitochondrial diglyceride kinase in either case was also related to the degree of microsomal contaminants. It was concluded that previous studies showing negligible capacity of mitochondria for lecithin biosynthesis de novo were not explainable on the basis of limited accessibility of added diglycerides, and that formation of phosphatidic acid by diglyceride kinase was not of significance in rat liver mitochondria.