Regulation of phosphatidylcholine metabolism in mammalian hearts.

Phosphatidylcholine is the major phospholipid in the mammalian heart. Over 90% of the cardiac phosphatidylcholine is synthesized via the CDP-choline pathway. The rate-limiting step of this pathway is catalyzed by CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase. Current evidence suggests that phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis in the heart is regulated by the availability of CTP and the modulation of cytidylyltransferase activity. Phosphatidylcholine is degraded mainly by the actions of phospholipase A1 and A2, with the formation of lysophosphatidylcholine. Lysophosphatidylcholine may be further deacylated by lysophospholipase or reacylated back into the parent phospholipid by the action of acyltransferase. The accumulation of lysophosphatidylcholine in the heart may be one of the biochemical factors for the production of cardiac arrhythmias.