A monolayer study of the reaction of trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid with amino phospholipids

The reaction of trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid with amino phospholipids, and in particular phosphatidylethanolamine has been studied by the monolayer technique. Injection of trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid under a monolayer of amino phospholipid results in an increase in surface pressure. The rate and extent of the pressure change is greatly affected by the initial surface pressure, the fatty acid composition of the lipid, and the presence of other non-reactive lipids, especially negatively charged phospholipids.The extent of the reaction was measured with ³²P-labelled phospholipids isolated from Bacillus subtilis. Only about 80% of the phosphatidylethanolamine in the monolayer could be converted to its trinitrophenyl derivative. In the presence of negatively charged phospholipids such as cardiolipin or phosphatidylglycerol, a further 20% decrease in the trinitrophenylation of phosphatidylethanolamine was found. The pressure increase occurring during trinitrophenylation could also be correlated with the extent of the reaction by comparison of the force-area curves of pure phosphatidylethanolamine, its trinitrophenyl derivative and mixtures of both compounds.The data may offer an explanation for the observation that incomplete labelling of amino phospholipids frequently occurs in natural membranes and furthermore indicate that the use of chemical labelling techniques in the study of lipid asymmetry in biological membranes must be approached with great caution.     

Lipid synthesis by germinating soya bean

Lipid content and changes during the first 2 days of germination have been examined in soya bean Glycine max (L.) Merr variety Fiskeby V. Triacylglycerol, the principle storage lipid, is reduced on germination and this is accompanied by a rise in phospholipid content. The relative amounts of phospholipids rise equally, apart from the disappearance of N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine and significant increases in the proportions of phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylglycerol.Incorporation of acetate-[¹⁴C] into lipids occurs after a brief lag phase. Labelling is almost entirely (94–100%) confined to the acyl portion of the major complex lipids. Triacylglycerols had low specific radioactivities and, of the phospholipids, phosphatidylglycerol, cardiolipin, and phosphatidylinositol had the highest specific radioactivities. Incorporation was somewhat reduced by protein synthesis inhibitors and was mainly into palmitic, stearic and oleic acids. There were minor differences in their distribution within lipid types.     

Enhancement of phospholipid hydrolysis in vasopressin-stimulated BHK-21 and H9c2 cells

The hydrolysis of phospholipids in vasopressin-stimulated baby hamster kidney (BHK)-21 and H9c2 myoblastic cells was investigated. Phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine in these cells were pulse labelled with [³H]glycerol, [³H]myristate, [³H]choline or [³H]ethanolamine, and chased with the non-labelled precursor until linear turnover rates were obtained. When cells labelled with [³H]glycerol or [³H]myristate were stimulated by vasopressin, no significant decrease in the labelling of phosphatidylcholine was detected, but the labelling of phosphatidic acid was elevated. However, the labellings of phosphatidylethanolamine and its hydrolytic product were not affected by vasopressin stimulation. When the cells were pulse labelled with [³H]-choline, vasopressin stimulation caused a decrease in the labelled phosphatidylcholine with a corresponding increase in the labelled choline. The apparent discrepancy between the two types of labelling might be explained by the recycling of labelled phosphatidic acid back into phosphatidylcholine, thus masking the reduction in the labelled phospholipid during vasopressin stimulation. Alternatively, the labelled choline produced by vasopressin stimulation was released into the medium, thus reducing the recycling of label precursor back into the phospholipid and making the decrease in the labelling of phosphatidylcholine readily detectable. Further studies revealed that vasopressin treatment caused an enhancement of phospholipase D activity in these cells. The presence of substrate-specific phospholipase D isoforms in mammalian tissues led us to postulate that the differential stimulation of phospholipid hydrolysis by vasopressin was caused by the enhancement of a phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase D in both BHK-21 and the H9c2 cells.Abbreviations BHK-21 cells baby hamster kidney-21 cells     

A monolayer study of the reaction of trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid with amino phospholipids.

The reaction of trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid with amino phospholipids, and in particular phosphatidylethanolamine has been studied by the monolayer technique. Injection of trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid under a monolayer of amino phospholipid results in an increase in surface pressure. The rate and extent of the pressure change is greatly affected by the initial surface pressure, the fatty acid composition of the lipid, and the presence of other non-reactive lipids, especially negatively charged phospholipids. The extent of the reaction was measured with 32P-labelled phospholipids isolated from Bacillus subtilis. Only about 80% of the phosphatidylethanolamine in the monolayer could be converted to its trinitrophenyl derivative. In the presence of negatively charged phospholipids such as cardiolipin or phosphatidylglycerol, a further 20% decrease in the trinitrophenylation of phosphatidylethanolamine was found. The pressure increase occurring during trinitrophenylation could also be correlated with the extent of the reaction by comparison of the force-area curves of pure phosphatidylethanolamine, its trinitrophenyl derivative and mixtures of both compounds. The data may offer an explanation for the observation that incomplete labelling of amino phospholipids frequently occurs in natural membranes and furthermore indicate that the use of chemical labelling techniques in the study of lipid asymmetry in biological membranes must be approached with great caution.     

Microbial Assimilation of Hydrocarbons: Identification of Phospholipids

The distribution of phospholipids derived from Micrococcus cerificans was determined under a variety of nutritive conditions. Cells were grown with hexadecane, heptadecane, or acetate serving as the sole carbon source. Total lipid was isolated by chloroform-methanol extraction, and the phospholipid fraction was isolated by silicic acid column chromatography. The phospholipids were characterized by silicic acid chromatography, by thin-layer chromatography, and by identification of water-soluble products resulting from acid hydrolysis of purified phospholipids. Major phospholipids characterized were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, and cardiolipin. Minor phospholipids were phosphatidylglycerol phosphate and phosphatidylserine. Trace amounts of methylated derivatives of phosphatidylethanolamine were determined by incorporation of ¹⁴C from ¹⁴C-methylmethionine. These experiments demonstrated the presence of phosphatidyl-N-methylethanolamine, phosphatidyl-N,N′-dimethylethanolamine, and phosphatidylcholine in trace quantities. Pulse labeling with ¹⁴C-serine demonstrated the direct incorporation of serine into phosphatidylserine followed by decarboxylation to phosphatidylethanolamine.     

Incorporation of [32P]orthophosphate into brain-slice phospholipids and their precursors. Effects of electrical stimulation

1. The incorporation of [(32)P]phosphate into phospholipids was measured in slices cut from the pial surface of guinea-pig cerebral cortex; incorporation into the phosphorus of some water-soluble precursors of phospholipid was measured under similar conditions. 2. Slices subjected to overall electrical stimulation at a frequency of 5pulses/sec. differed from control slices in their pattern of phospholipid labelling. After 1hr. of stimulation, incorporation of [(32)P]phosphate into phosphatidylcholine, ethanolamine phospholipid and cardiolipin was respectively 54, 55 and 58% of the control value, and that into phosphatidylinositol was 186% of control. Phosphatidic acid labelling tended to increase with electrical stimulation, but the statistical significance of this change was marginal. Labelling of phosphatidylglycerol and di- and tri-phosphoinositides was not affected significantly by electrical stimulation. 3. Electrical stimulation of the tissue altered the specific radioactivities of water-soluble precursors of phospholipid. 4. The turnover rates of the phosphate groups of phospholipids were estimated approximately from the specific radioactivities of phospholipids and their precursors. Phosphatidylinositol (and its lipid-soluble precursors) showed the largest change in turnover rate in response to electrical stimulation of the tissue; the turnover rates of other lipids were also affected. Changes in the specific radioactivity of phospholipids did not correspond to changes in turnover in these experiments.     

Biogenesis of mitochondria. The effects of catabolite repression on the in vitro phospholipid synthetic capacities of subcellular fractions of respiratory-competent and respiratory-deficient strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A respiratory-competent wild-type strain and a nuclear isogenic, mitochondrial DNA-less, petite mutant strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were grown under conditions of catabolite repression in batch cultures and under conditions of catabolite derepression in chemostat cultures. Subcellular fractions were isolated and the capacity of these fractions to incorporate sn-[2-³H]glycerol 3-phosphate into phospholipids was studied. Neither catabolite repression nor loss of mitochondrial DNA appreciably altered the total in vitro lipid synthesized by mitochondrial fractions during the incubation. Mitochondria isolated from catabolite-derepressed wild-type and petite cells had approximately the same specific activity in vitro for the synthesis of phosphatidylinositol. phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and neutral lipids. Mitochondria isolated from the petite cells retained the capacity to synthesize phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol, although the synthesis of these phospholipids was far less extensive than that by the mitochondria isolated from the wild-type cells. In both cases, mitochondria prepared from catabolite-repressed cells synthesized a greater proportion of phosphatidylserine than did mitochondria from catabolite-derepressed cells. The proportions of phospholipid species synthesized in vitro by the microsomal fractions studied were not grossly affected by catabolite repression or loss of mitochondrial DNA.     

Stimulation of Phospholipid Biosynthesis during Frost Hardening of Winter Wheat

Lipids were labeled with ³³P during frost hardening of two varieties of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum), hardy Kharkov and much less hardy Champlein. The main labeled compounds were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylglycerol. With time of incorporation the proportion of the radioactivity incorporated into the lipids increased in phosphatidylcholine, especially in Kharkov and at 1 C. During hardening, phospholipid synthesis was greatly stimulated in Kharkov, but much less in Champlein. The proportion of the phospholipids synthesized changed only little with hardening, with a trend towards an increase in phosphatidylcholine. Increased phospholipid synthesis does not seem to be a prerequisite to hardening in winter wheat. However, a high rate of phospholipid synthesis may be required to maintain frost resistance.     

Role of myo-inositol in the synthesis of phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol in the lung

The addition of $\text{myo}$-inositol to lung microsomes inhibited phosphatidylglycerol synthesis up to 94% while it stimulated that of phosphatidylinositol. The inhibition was evident only when CDP-diacylglyceride availability was limiting the rate of acidic phospholipid synthesis. Excess $\text{myo}$-inositol given to rabbits for two days decreased surfactant phosphatidylglycerol from 5.3–5.7% to 0.4–0.5%, and increased that of phosphatidylinositol from 5.4–5.8% to 9.3–8.6% of total phospholipid. The composition of other surfactant phospholipids as well as those in mitochondria and microsomes were little affected. The quality of microsomally synthesized acidic phospholipids may be controlled by $\text{myo}$-inositol at the biosynthetic surface.     

Features of phospholipid composition of marine proteobacteria of Pseudoalteromonas species

The study of the phospholipid composition of 14 type strains of marine proteobacteria of the genus Pseudoalteromonas showed that phospholipids are the main polar lipid constituents of membranes in these proteobacteria. The phospholipid patterns of the strains studied were found to be similar and involved five phospholipids typical of gram-negative bacteria, namely, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, bisphosphatidic acid, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidic acid. The major phospholipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol, which add up to 89-97% of total phospholipids; bisphosphatidic acid was dominant among minor phospholipids. The prevalence of phosphatidylethanolamine (62-77% of total phospholipids) and the absence of diphosphatidylglycerol are the characteristic features of most bacteria of this genus. As in Escherichia coli, the phospholipid composition of the marine proteobacteria depended on the presence of magnesium in the medium.     

Phospholipids of marine proteobacteria of the genusPseudoalteromonas

The study of the phospholipid composition of 14 type strains of marine proteobacteria of the genusPseudoalteromonas showed that phospholipids are the main polar lipid constituents of membranes in these proteobacteria. The phospholipid patterns of the strains studied were found to be similar and involved five phospholipids typical of gram-negative bacteria, namely, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, bisphosphatidic acid, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidic acid. The major phospholipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol, which add up to 89–97% of the total phospholipids; bisphosphatidic acid was dominant among minor phospholipids. The prevalence of phosphatidylethanolamine (62–77% of the total phospholipids) and the absence of diphosphatidylglycerol are the characteristic features of most bacteria of this genus. As inEscherichia coli, the phospholipid composition of the marine proteobacteria depended on the presence of magnesium in the medium.     

The Role of Phospholipids in Plasma Membrane ATPase Activity in Vigna radiata L. (Mung Bean) Roots and Hypocotyls

Root and hypocotyl plasma membrane H⁺-ATPases were partially purified from deoxycholate-solubilized fractions of microsomes in mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) plants in the presence of glycerol. Certain properties of the ATPases and the manner in which phospholipids affect their activity were compared. Root ATPase was similar to hypocotyl ATPase with respect to substrate specificity, salt stimulation, pH dependence, K_m for ATP·Mg²⁺ and inhibitor sensitivity, except for inhibition by vanadate. Both purified ATPases required phospholipids for their activation. Optimum concentrations of exogenously added phospholipid mixture (asolectin) to hypocotyl and root ATPase mixture were 0.03% and 1.0%, respectively. Root ATPase activation did not decrease if more than 1.0% asolectin was added. Qualitatively, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine brought about greater ATPase activation than other phospholipids. The hypocotyl ATPase was activated by phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylglycerol to a greater extent than the root ATPase. Root, but not hypocotyl ATPase, was slightly inhibited by the addition of phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidic acid. The hypocotyl plasma membrane contained phosphatidylinositol + phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidic acid, and unsaturated fatty acids in greater abundance than the root plasma membrane. The differential activation of the plasma membrane ATPases may arise from these differences.     

Calcium-independent phosphatidylinositol response in gonadotropin-releasing-hormone-stimulated pituitary cells.

This paper describes the effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH, gonadoliberin) on phospholipid metabolism in cultured rat pituitary cells. The cells were incubated with [32P]Pi to label endogenous phospholipids (10-60 min) and then stimulated with GnRH for up to 60 min. Cellular phospholipids were separated by two-dimensional t.l.c. and the radioactivity was determined. Phosphatidylinositol (PI), a minor constituent of cellular phospholipids (7.7%), was the major labelled phospholipid, accounting for 45% of the total radioactivity, at early periods after pulse labelling. On the other hand, phosphatidylcholine, the major cellular phospholipid (37%), was labelled only to 32% of the total radioactivity. The remaining label was distributed among phosphatidylethanolamine (4.2%), cardiolipin (3.4%), phosphatidic acid (PA, 2.5%), and phosphatidylserine (1.8%). GnRH doubled 32P labelling of PA and PI significantly at 1 and 5 min of incubation respectively in the presence or absence of extracellular Ca2+. Labelling of other phospholipids was not affected by GnRH treatment. The half-maximal stimulating dose (ED50) for PI labelling and lutropin release was 0.75 nM and 0.5 nM respectively, and the stimulatory effect was blocked by the potent GnRH antagonist [D-Glp1,pClPhe2,D-Trp3,6]GnRH. GnRH-stimulated PA and PI labelling could not be demonstrated after 1 and 45 min of incubation respectively, or when the prelabelling was conducted for 60 min rather than 10 min. These results suggest heterogeneous compartmentalization of gonadotroph PA and PI pools and that increased PI turnover might be a transducing signal for Ca2+ gating that follows gonadotroph GnRH-receptor activation.     

Comparison of phospholipid effects on insulin-sensitive low Km cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in adipocyte plasma membranes and microsomes

Both adipocyte plasma membranes and microsomes possess insulin-sensitive low K_m cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity. The activity of the enzyme from both sources was susceptible to activation by several anionic phospholipids. Activators of the plasma membrane enzyme were lysophosphatidylglycerol > lysophosphatidylcholine > lysophosphatidylserine > phosphatidylserine > phosphatidylglycerol. These same phospholipids activated the microsomal enzyme but the extent of activation by each phospholipid was reversed. Neutral phospholipids and other anionic phospholipids were without effect. The phospholipids had no effect on high K_m cAMP phosphodiesterase in either membrane. The results suggest that the phospholipid headgroup was an important determinant for enzyme activation by phospholipid. The increased susceptibility of the plasma membrane enzyme to lysophospholipid may be attributed to a difference in the plasma membrane enzyme compared to the microsomal membrane enzyme or to differences in plasma membrane and microsomal membrane phospholipid composition and their ability to regulate low K_m cAMP phosphodiesterase activity.     

The interaction of the Bax C-terminal domain with membranes is influenced by the presence of negatively charged phospholipids

The C-terminal domain of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax (Bax-C) is supposed to act as a membrane anchor motif when Bax is activated leading to programmed cell death. A synthetic peptide which imitates this domain has been used to study the mechanism of peptide-phospholipid interaction. We have used static and MAS-NMR techniques to show that the interaction of Bax-C with membranes is modulated by the presence of a negatively charged phospholipid like phosphatidylglycerol. Bax-C slightly shifted upfield the ³¹P resonances coming from phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine. However the width of the resonance peaks was considerably higher when phosphatidylglycerol was present. Bax-C substantially decreased the T₁ relaxation times of phosphatidylglycerol and those of phosphatidylcholine when mixtured with phosphatidylglycerol, but T₁ values were not decreased when phosphatidylcholine was the only phospholipid present in the membrane. ¹³C-MAS-NMR showed that T₁ values were decreased when Bax-C was incorporated into the lipid vesicles and this reduction affected similarly to carbons located in different regions of the membrane when the only phospholipid present was phosphatidylcholine. However, when phosphatidylglycerol was also present, the decrease in T₁ affected considerably more to some carbons in the polar region. These results indicate that Bax-C interacts differently with the polar part of the membrane depending on whether phosphatidylglycerol is present or not, suggesting that an electrostatic interaction of Bax-C with the membrane determines the location of this domain. Fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the Trp residues of Bax-C were placed in a microenvironment more hydrophobic and less accessible to quenching by acrylamide when phosphatidylglycerol was present.     

Carbons from choline present in the phospholipids of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The phospholipid composition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa grown in a mineral medium with choline as the carbon source was: phosphatidylethanolamine, 71.6±1.4%; phosphatidylglycerol, 11.8±0.4%; diphosphatidylglycerol, 0.8±0.4%; phosphatidic acid, 2.4±0.6%; lysophosphatidylethanolamine, 1.6±0.3%; phosphatidylcholine 7.9±0.3%; lysophosphatidylcholine, 3.9±0.7%. The molar ratio between the acidic and the neutral phospholipids was 0.18. Radiolabeling experiments with [methyl-¹⁴C]choline or [1,2-¹⁴C]choline carried out in cell suspension from bacteria that were grown in the presence of choline as the sole carbon source demonstrated that the carbons of the N-methyl groups of choline contributed to the synthesis of fatty acids while the carbons comprising the backbone of choline were used for the synthesis of glycerol.     

Co-ordination between membrane phospholipid synthesis and accelerated biosynthesis of cytoplasmic ribonucleic acid and protein

1. The rate of synthesis of membrane phospholipid was studied in rat liver and seminal vesicles by following the incorporation of [(32)P]orthophosphate, [(14)C]choline and [(14)C]glycerol. Particular emphasis was laid on the endoplasmic reticulum, which was fractionated into smooth microsomal membranes, heavy rough membranes, light rough membranes and free polyribosomes. 2. Phospholipid labelling patterns suggested a heterogeneity in the synthesis and turnover of the different lipid moieties of smooth and rough endoplasmic membranes. The major phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, were labelled relatively rapidly with (32)P over a short period of time whereas incorporation of radioisotope into the minor phospholipids, sphingomyelin, lysolecithin and phosphatidylinositol proceeded slowly but over a longer period of time. 3. The incorporation of orotic acid into RNA and labelled amino acids into protein of the four submicrosomal fractions was also studied. 4. Rapid growth of the liver was induced by the administration of growth hormone and tri-iodothyronine to hypophysectomized and thyroidectomized rats and by partial hepatectomy. Growth of seminal vesicles of castrated rats was stimulated with testosterone propionate. 5. The rate of labelling of membrane phospholipids was enhanced in all major subcellular particulate fractions (nuclear, mitochondrial and microsomal) during induced growth. However, it was in the rough endoplasmic reticulum that the accumulation of phospholipids, RNA and protein was most marked. The effect of hormone administration was also to accelerate preferentially the labelling with (32)P of sphingomyelin relative to that of phosphatidylcholine or phosphatidylethanolamine. 6. Time-course analyses showed that, in all four growth systems studied, the enhancement of the rate of membrane phospholipid synthesis coincided with the rather abrupt increase in the synthesis of RNA and protein of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Growth hormone and tri-iodothyronine administered to hypophysectomized rats had additive effects in all the biosynthetic processes. The latent period of action of each hormone was maintained so that two waves of proliferation of endoplasmic reticulum occurred if the hormones were administered simultaneously. 7. It is concluded that there is some mechanism in the cell that tightly co-ordinates the formation of membranes, especially those of the endoplasmic reticulum, when an increased demand is made for protein synthesis.     

Effects of Phenethyl Alcohol on Phospholipid Metabolism in Escherichia coli

The incorporation of labeled precursors into the deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid (RNA), proteins, and phospholipids of Escherichia coli cultured in the presence of phenethyl alcohol (PEA) was determined. PEA inhibited the uptake of labeled uracil to the same extent in cells exhibiting relaxed and stringent control of RNA synthesis. This indicates that PEA does not primarily affect amino acid synthesis or activation. Uptake of labeled acetate into the phospholipid fraction was more sensitive to inhibition by low concentrations of PEA than was the uptake of labeled precursors into the macromolecules. Thymine starvation or the addition of nalidixic acid (10 mug/ml) had no effect on acetate incorporation. Chloramphenicol (25 mug/ml) was a much less effective inhibitor of acetate incorporation than was PEA. The distribution of labeled acetate incorporated into phospholipids was markedly affected by the presence of PEA. The uptake of acetate into phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol was inhibited, whereas the uptake of acetate into the cardiolipin fraction was unaffected. Since acetate incorporation into phospholipid was quite sensitive to PEA, we suggest that the PEA-sensitive component required for the initiation of replication may be a phospholipid(s).     

Choline metabolism in the cerebral cortex of guinea pigs. Phosphorylcholine and lipid choline

1. The labelling of phosphorylcholine and choline-containing phospholipids in the subcellular fractions of guinea-pig cerebral cortex after the intraventricular injection of [N-Me-(3)H]choline into conscious animals has been studied. Special emphasis was placed upon the synaptosome fraction and early time-periods after administration. 2. The labelling of phosphorylcholine was rapid compared with that of phospholipid and was confined to two distinct subcellular fractions: the soluble cytoplasmic fraction and the synaptosome fraction. Most of the labelled phosphorylcholine of the synaptosome fraction was readily released by osmotic rupture indicating location in the nerve-ending cytoplasm. The two pools of phosphorylcholine had similar specific radioactivities at all observed times. 3. (3)H-labelled phospholipid was found in all membranous fractions. The labelling was confined to choline-containing phospholipids, notably phosphatidylcholine. 4. The labelling of the different membranous fractions was similar. 5. The half-life of the choline-containing phospholipids in the synaptic vesicle fraction was very much greater than the acetylcholine in this fraction. 6. Evidence is presented that synthesis de novo of phosphatidylcholine at nerve terminals occurs in vivo.     

The Neuroleptic Chlorpromazine Inhibits the Cationic and Stimulates the Anionic Phospholipid Precursor Synthesis in Human Lymphocytes

The widely used neuroleptic drug chlorpromazine (CPZ) influences membrane functions at the levels of ionic channels and receptors as shown. Here we show the effect of short term treatments by CPZ (30 μM), on the nucleotide-containing phospholipid precursors in human lymphocyte primary cultures. During 60 minutes incubation of the cells, the CDP-ethanolamine (CDP-EA) content was only slightly reduced (87 to 76 pmol/10⁶ cells), the amount of CDP-choline (CDP-Ch) was inhibited totally (from 25 to 0 pmol) upon the treatment with 30 μM CPZ under the same conditions. It has been shown earlier, that dCTP can be used as well as CTP for biosynthesis of phospholipids. Thus, the separation of the corresponding ribo- and deoxyribo-liponucleotides was developed. CPZ almost completely inhibited the synthesis of both dCDP-EA and dCDP-Ch under the same conditions The synthesis of the activated liponucleotide precursors, can be measured by incorporation of extracellular 14C-dCyt into both dCDP-EA and dCDP-Ch, as shown earlier. While the cationic deoxyribo-liponucleotide content (dCDP-Ch, dCDP-EA) was decreased, the labelling of the anionic phospholipid precursor dCDP-diacylglycerol (dCDP-DAG) was enhanced several times, it could be labelled only in the presence of CPZ from 14C-dCyd. Thus, a principal disturbance of the membrane phospholipid synthesis is presented (i.e., inhibition of the cationic and enhancement of the anionic dCDP-DAG synthesis). This profound influence on the membrane phospholipids by chlorpromazine, might be the primary effect that contributes to the wide spectrum of CPZ effects on neuronal cells.