ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the pathways of glycerophospholipid biosynthesis in cells. It begins with a presentation of fatty acid biosynthetic pathways, with particular emphasis on fatty acid modification activities. These activities regulate the composition of the pool of fatty acids available for glycerophospholipid biosynthesis and hence strongly influence the assortment of glycerophospholipid molecular species that are eventually produced. In animal cells and in yeast, an alternate pathway for the formation of phosphatidic acid begins with the acylation of dihydroxyacetonephosphate to produce 1-acyldihydroxyacetonephosphate. The enzyme, dihydroxyacetonephosphate acyltransferase, is found in the microsomal and peroxisomal compartments of the cells. Phosphatidate phosphatase activity has been reported in virtually every subcellular compartment of the cell, including the cytosol. The reason for the widespread appearance of the enzyme is puzzling, since diacylglycerol, the product of the reaction, is used primarily by microsomal enzymes for further lipid biosynthesis. Phosphatidylserine is converted to phosphatidylethanolamine by the enzyme phosphatidylserine decarboxylase.
