The aminoethylphosphonate-containing lipids of rumen protozoa

Abstract

A method is presented for identifying and estimating the aminoethylphosphonate (ciliatine)-containing phospholipids in a complex mixture. Evidence was obtained that the phospholipids of a pure culture of Entodinium caudatum and a mixed rumen protozoa sample contain diglyceride ciliatine, and a plasmalogen ciliatine was detected in the latter. A ninhydrin-positive sphingolipid was isolated from rumen protozoa. Although chromatographically homogeneous on silica gel it contains 2 components, which were provisionally identified as ceramide ciliatine and ceramide phosphorylethanolamine. A detailed phospholipid analysis of E. caudatum and rumen protozoa is presented. They contain no phosphatidylserine or cardiolipin, but an unidentified phosphoglyceride containing a zwitterionic amino acid is present.