Selective incorporation of polyunsaturated fatty acids into organelle phospholipids of animal cells.

ABSTRACT

The selective incorporation of linoleic (182(n-6)) and docosahexaenoic (226(n-3)) acids into phospholipids of mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and plasma membrane was investigated by changing the ratio of 226(n-3) against 182(n-6) in a medium, in which Chinese hamster V79-R cells were grown. In those organelles, 182(n-6) and its elongation product (eicosadienoic acid) (202 (n-6)) were predominantly incorporated into phosphatidylcholine. However, 226(n-3) was incorporated more selectively into phosphatidylethanolamine than 182(n-6) and 202(n-6).