What are ether phospholipids?
What are ether phospholipids?
Ether-phospholipids (EPLs) are a special class of phospholipids, characterized by the presence of an ether bond at the sn-1 position of the glyc- erol backbone rather than an ester-bond as in the regular diacyl-phospholipids. There are two types of ether bonds in EPLs – a regular ether- bond or a vinyl-ether bond.
What is ether linkage in lipids?
Ether-linked phospholipids are a subclass of glycerophospholipids that have an alkyl chain attached by an ether bond at the sn-1 position. The sn-2 position of ether lipids generally has an ester-linked acyl chain, as in diacyl phospholipids.
Is glycerol an ether?
Glycerol ethers are alkyl ethers, namely they belong to a class of molecules on which >1200 research articles and >2000 patents have been, respectively, published and granted in the 2000–14 decade [30].
Do archaea have ether linked?
In archaea, isoprenoid hydrocarbon side chains are linked via an ether bond to the sn-glycerol-1-phosphate backbone. In bacteria and eukarya on the other hand, fatty acid side chains are linked via an ester bond to the sn-glycerol-3-phosphate backbone.
What is difference between ester and ether?
The main difference between ether and ester lies in their structure. An ester group requires two oxygen atoms and two carbon atoms to complete its characteristic structure, while an ether group only needs one oxygen atom and two carbon atoms for its structure.
Are esters lipids?
Many lipids are esters, which result from the chemical reaction of a carboxylic acid with an alcohol. Triglycerides, esters formed from one molecule of glycerol (an alcohol) and three fatty acid molecules (carboxylic acids), make up most of the lipids stored in our bodies or found in our diet.
What is ether linkage?
An ether group is an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups. They follow the general formula R-O-R’. The C-O-C linkage is characterized by bond angles of 104.5 degrees, with the C-O distances being about 140 pm. The oxygen of the ether is more electronegative than the carbons.
What is ester linkage?
The ester linkage is formed between the oxygen molecules of glycerol and the hydroxyl molecules of fatty acids. The formation of ester linkage is an endothermic reaction. What a TAG is hydrolyzed, it releases free fatty acid chains, monoglycerides, diglycerides, and glucose molecules.
Do humans have ether?
In adult humans, approximately 20% of the total phospholipids have an ether linked moiety, but the proportions in different tissues vary greatly. For example, liver phospholipids contain less than 5% of ether lipids, while spermatozoa can contain up to 40%.
What are ceramides made of?
Ceramides are made up of a substance called sphingosine. Sphingosine is a chain of carbon atoms with an amino acid attached to it. It has different forms that bind to other fatty acids to form ceramides.
Do eukaryotes have ether linkages?
In archaea it is in the L-isomeric form, while bacteria and eukaryotes have the D-isomeric form. A second difference is the presence of an ether-linkage between the glycerol and the side chain, as opposed to the ester-linked lipids found in bacteria and eukaryotes.
In which domain’s do we find organisms who have ether linked membrane lipids?
It should be stressed that ether-linked lipids are not unique to archaea per se, but are also found in Bacteria and Eukarya, although not ubiquitously distributed and usually only a minor component of the lipid membrane.