Lipidic characterization of full-grown amphibian oocytes and their plasma membrane-enriched fractions.

The content and composition of neutral lipids and phosphoglycerides from full-grown prophase-arrested Bufo arenarum Hensel oocytes and from their ghost preparations were studied. The ghosts obtained are highly enriched in plasma membrane as suggested by the activity of 5'-nucleotidase, a marker enzyme, and the level of typical membrane components such as sphingomyelin, phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylinositol (PI), and phosphatidic acid. In whole oocytes, triacylglyceride (TAG) comprises about 60% of the total lipids followed by phosphatidylcholine (PC), cholesterol, and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). TAG and diacylglycerides have a similar unsaturation index. PC and PE account for about 80% of the phosphoglycerides in the whole oocyte and in their plasma membrane-enriched fractions. Arachidonic acid (20:4n-6), 18:0, and 16:0 make up about 80 mol% of the total fatty acids in PI in whole oocytes and ghost fractions. The unsaturation index in PS is higher in intact oocytes than in ghost preparations, probably owing to the significant amount of 20:4n-6 which comprises 23 mol% of the total fatty acids in whole oocytes. The fatty acid profile in phosphatidic acid from whole oocytes is rather different from that in ghosts. Sphingomyelin contains mainly saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, 24:1 being the principal very long chain unsaturated fatty acid in both oocytes and ghosts.