In vivo syntheses of phosphatidyl choline and ethanolamine in larvae of the dried-fruit moth

Abstract

The in vivo incorporation of injected 1,2- 14C-choline chloride and ul- 14C-ethanolamine into dried-fruit moth late instar larval phospholipids was investigated. The distribution of 14C-label in the larval phospholipids indicated that ethanolamine and choline are metabolic precursors of phosphatidyl ethanolamine and phosphatidyl choline respectively. Furthermore, by the injection of methyl- 14C- l-methionine the presence of a transmethylation system capable of methylating phosphatidyl ethanolamine to form phosphatidyl N-methylethano-lamine, phosphatidyl N,N′-dimethylethanolamine, and phosphatidyl choline was indicated.