In vitro Incorporation of Acetate-l-C 14 into Sphingomyelin,Phosphatidyl Choline and Phosphatidyl Ethanolamine of Rabbit Testes. ∗

Summary

Rabbit testes were incubated with acetate-1-C¹⁴, following which the amounts, radioactivities, fatty acid compositions and fatty acid specific activities of the major phospholipids were determined. Phosphatidyl choline was present in highest amount and incorporated the most acetate-C¹⁴. All the phospholipids contained high percentages of polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly of the linoleic acid series. The rabbit testicular phospholipids were found to contain a higher percentage of 8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid than is found in other normal tissues. Palmitic acid incorporated the highest amount of acetate-C¹⁴ in all the phospholipid classes. Smaller, but significant amounts of this precursor were also utilized in the synthesis of 8,11,14-eicosatrienoic. arachidonic and docosapentaenoic acids by the testes.