Variation in corn (Zea mays L.) for fatty acid compositions of triglycerides and phospholipids

The percentage of linoleic acid in corn germ oil of three crosses, C103D × B73, C103D×B84, and T220×H51, and their reciprocals was investigated. Corn germ oil from F₂, F₃, and backcrossed generations was also examined. More than one gene locus appeared to be involved in conditioning the linoleic acid content in these crosses. Strong maternal effects were exhibited in the F₁'s. Genotype also superimposed variations in fatty acid compositions within the characteristic lipid class patterns of the phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol. Fatty acid placements in triglycerides, digalactosyldiglycerides, and phospholipids of one inbred, H51, were determined by lipase and phospholipase hydrolysis. The overall pattern of placement showed that the fatty acids at the 1 position were predominately saturated and those at the 2 position were predominately unsaturated, but the fatty acid distribution was different for each individual lipid class. The molecular species of the phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylethanolamines were separated by silver nitrate thin-layer chromatography. The major differences in the molecular species were a higher level of the dienoic-dienoic species and a lower level of the monoenoic-monoenoic species in the phosphatidylethanolamines than in the phosphatidylcholines.