Glyceryl ethers in insects: Biosynthesis of ethanolamine phosphoglycerides containing alkyl and alk‐1‐enyl glyceryl ether linkages

Abstract

AbstractWhen14C‐labeled acetate, fatty acids or fatty alcohols were injected into or fed to the tobacco budworm, acyl, alkyl and alk‐1‐enyl moieties of the phospholipids incorporated radioactivity. Fatty acids were the principal precursor in acyl bond formation and fatty alcohols in the synthesis of alkyl and alk‐1‐enyl glyceryl ethers. Detailed analysis of the etherlinked phosphoglycerides revealed that most of the radioactivity was in the ethanolamine phosphoglycerides, and very little14C was found in the choline phosphoglycerides. In experiments of a short duration, the alkyl glyceryl ethers incorporated more radioactivity than the alk‐1‐enyl glyceryl ethers. The reverse was found with long term experiments, when the alk‐1‐enyl ethers had higher radioactivity. In addition to demonstrating the synthesis of ether‐linked ethanolamine phosphoglycerides, the data suggested that fatty alcohols and acids were interconverted by insects and that the alk‐1‐enyl ethers were derived from the alkyl ethers.