Synthesis of 5,9-hexacosadienoic acid phospholipids. 11. Phospholipid studies of marine organisms.

The synthesis of phosphatidylcholines (PC), phosphatidylethanolamines (PE) and phosphatidylserines (PS) containing two acyl chains of the naturally occurring sponge fatty acid (5Z,9Z)-5,9-hexacosadienoic acid as well as its hitherto unknown geometrical isomers is described. The PCs were prepared by deacylation of natural lecithins, followed by reacylation with fatty acid anhydrides. The synthesis of mixed-acid PCs is also reported: a diacyl product was converted to the lyso-PC by treatment with phospholipase A2 and subsequent acylation of the secondary hydroxyl group to give the desired mixed-acid PCs. The PEs and the PSs were prepared from the corresponding PCs by enzymatic transphosphatidylation catalyzed by phospholipase D. Structural assignments of the compounds were confirmed by spectroscopy (1H-NMR and MS). Ammonia chemical ionization mass spectrometry provided molecular ion and significant fragment peaks for PCs and PEs.