Phospholipid turnover in Torpedo marmorata electric organ during discharge in vivo.

One electric organ of anaesthetized Torpedo marmorata was stimulated through electrodes placed on the electric lobe of the brain. Nerves to the other electric organ were cut to provide an unstimulated control. Glucose 6-[32P]phosphate was injected into each organ 16h before electrical stimulation. After stimulation for 10 min at 5 Hz, the organs were removed homogenized and centrifuged on a density gradient for the preparation of subcellular fractions. Stimulation increased the incorporation of 32P into phosphatidate, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine. The increased phosphatidate labelling, but not that of the other two lipids, was seen in fractions rich in synaptic vesicles. Stimulation had no effect on ATP labelling. The phosphatidate content of most fractions fell slightly after stimulation, but amounts of other phospholipids were not affected.