Transfer of pyrene-dietherphosphatidylcholine to serum lipoproteins.

The nonhydrolyzable fluorescent diether analog of phosphatidylcholine, 1-O-hexadecyl-2-0-pyrenedecyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, has been synthesized as a stable probe for the determination of phospholipid transfer to different lipoprotein classes with potential phospholipase activities. After incubation of total human serum with the new probe at 37°C for 3 hours a characteristic partition equilibrium between the main lipoprotein fractions was observed. The fluorescent lipid was not degraded under these conditions and, therefore, served as a marker for choline glycerophospholipid distribution between and transport to serum lipoproteins.