Phospholipids of the pulmonate land snailCepaea nemoralis (L.)

The phospholipids of the snailCepaea nemoralis, comprising the major lipid fraction (65%) in this terrestrial pulmonate, were investigated by thin-layer and column chromatography. Detailed gas chromatographic analyses of liberated fatty acid fractions and amino acid analyses of the water soluble moieties of isolated phospholipid classes were carried out. Phosphatidyl choline (47%) and phosphatidyl ethanolamine (21%) were found to be the predominant phospholipid classes, while phosphatidyl serine (8%), phosphatidyl inositol (6%), diphosphatidyl glycerol (3%), ceramide amino-ethylphosphonate (7%), lysophosphatidyl choline (1%), and phosphatidic acid (1%) were present in lesser amounts. In the phosphatidyl ethanolamine and phosphatidyl serine fractions, minor quantities of plasmalogen analogues were detected. Fatty acid profiles of the various phospholipid classes appeared to be strikingly diverse, e.g. a characteristic component, such as linoleic (18∶2ω6) acid, ranging from 3–54%. In vivo radioisotope studies using 1-¹⁴C-acetate demonstrated the high biosynthetic rate of all phospholipid classes and their respective fatty acid fractions. Results are discussed in relation to data on the phospholipids from other invertebrate species.