Metabolism of phospholipids in normal and spherocytic human erythrocytes

Abstract

Human erythrocytes were incubated with oleic acid-1-C14 and monoacyl phosphatides to demonstrate the synthesis of diacyl glycerophosphoryl choline and diacyl glycerophosphoryl ethanolamine. These reactions proceeded at equal rates in normal and spherocytic cells. Phospholipase A activity was not demonstrable in erythrocytes. Normal and spherocytic cells appeared similar in the amount of acylating enzyme activity present. The amounts of endogenous monoacyl phosphatides available for acylation were similar in normal and spherocytic cells. In both types of cell, the predominant monoacyl phosphatide acylated was the α′-isomer.