biochemistry 9 Flashcards
what are the components of phospholipids
- platform - usually glycerol or sphingosine
- phosphate
- fatty acid - usually 1 or more
- alcohol
what is sphingosine
- 18 carbon amino alcohol
- unsaturated hydrocarbon tail
- example in sphingomyelin
where does the phosphate in phospholipids come from
ATP
what is the two methods of forming fatty acids for phospholipids
1) phosphaidate formed in the ER or the outer mitochondrial membrane
- two fatty acids added to glycerol-3-phosphate catalysed by glycerol phosphate acyltransferase
2) phopshatidate formed from diacylglycerol catalysed by diacylglycerol kinase using ATP
how is the alcohol added to a phospholipid
- phosphoglycerides - derived from phosphatidate
- via ester bond formed between the phosphate and alcohol
- requires nucleotide activation of phoshatidate or alcohol - PI and CL
- in many glycerophospholipids a nucleotide-phosphate alcohol is added directly to diacylglycerol
what does phosphatidic acid phosphatase catalyse
- conversion of phosphatidate to diacylglycerol
- different lipids synthesised depending on activity
what are the 4 stages of phospholipid synthesis
1) gluconeogenesis
2) triacylglycerol breakdown
3) triacylglycerol synthesis
4) phospholipid synthesis
what os diacylglycerol acylated by
diglyceride acyltransferase
- forms triacylglcerol
how is sphingosine produced
- from ceramide formed from parmitoyl CoA and serine
- occurs in ER
where does ceramide processing occur
plasma membrane
via ceramidase and spingosine kinase
what are glycolipids made form
- carbohydrate containing lipids derived from sphingosine
- carbohydrate linked to the primary alcohol of sphingosine
what are glycolipids used for
- cell-cell recognition and adhesion
- electrical potential across the membrane
what are cerebrosides
containing only one sugar
what are globosides
contain a branched sugar chain
what are gangliosides
contain a branched chain
what are the features of plasmalogens
- one fatty alcohol is attached through an ester linkage