STUDIES ON THE ACYLATION OF LYSOLECITHINS
"Semi-synthetic" lecithins were prepared by the acylation of lysolecithin cadmium chloride complexes (the lysolecithins were produced from egg lecithin by hydrolysis with phospholipase A) in the presence of pyridine with 1-C14 myristoyl chloride. The labelled lecithins were hydrolyzed with phospholipase A to yield free fatty acids (94% of the label) and lysolecithins (6% of the label). However, when lysolecithins were enzymically acylated with 1-C14 linoleic acid and the resulting labelled lecithins cleaved with phospholipase A, no labelled fatty acid was detected in the lysolecithin fraction.Labelled lecithins were also enzymically synthesized with 1-C14 linoleic acid and lysolecithins prepared from egg lecithin by reaction with sodium methoxide. The labelled lecithins were hydrolyzed with phospholipase A and the labelled lysolecithins were isolated and reacylated enzymically with oleic acid. The hydrolysis of these lecithins with phospholipase A showed that the lysolecithins retained all the label.