The presence of 1-radyl-glycerophosphoethanolamine acyltransferase activity in guinea pig heart mitochondria

Ethanolamine glycerophospholipids of mammalian heart mitochondria have a high content of arachidonic acid. Since the presence of acyltransferases that acylate 1-radyl glycerophosphoethanolamine had not been reported in the organelle, it was not known whether this high arachidonate content could be attained by the deacylation-reacylation pathway. In this study we have detected the presence of acyl-CoA:1-acyl-glycerophosphoethanolamine acyltransferase and acyl-CoA:1-alkenyl-glycerophosphoethanolamine acyltransferase activities in the guinea pig heart mitochondria. Both acyltransferases were active with palmitoyl-, stearoyl-, oleoyl-, linoleoyl-, and arachidonoyl-CoAs, but the highest activities were obtained with arachidonoyl-CoA. The acyl-CoA specificities of the enzyme(s) did not reflect the fatty acid composition of the ethanolamine glycerophospholipids. The utilization of arachidonoyl-CoA by these acyltransferases in the guinea pig heart mitochondria suggests that these enzymes may play a significant role in contributing to the high arachidonate content of the ethanolamine glycerophospholipids. However, mechanisms beyond the acyl specificity of the reacylation reactions are also involved in the maintenance of the overall acyl composition of the ethanolamine glycerophospholipid in the cardiac mitochondria.