Composition and metabolism of phospholipids of Fasciola hepatica, the common liver fluk

Abstract

1. 1. The phospholipid composition of Fasciola hepatica, the common liver fluke, was compared to that of the liver of the host animals (rats and cattle). Considerable differences were found: monoacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine, hardly detectable in the liver, was found in significant amounts in the parasite. On the other hand, sphingomyelin, a normal constituent in the liver, appears to be absent in the liver fluke. Fasciola hepatica isolated from rat and cow liver had a strikingly similar phospholipid composition.

2. 2. Qualitative and quantitative differences were also found between the fatty acyl constituents of the phospholipids of the parasite and the liver. The major difference was the presence of eicosaenoic and eicosadienoic acids in the parasite, whereas these acids were not detected in the liver.

3. 3. In vitro incubations of Fasciola hepatica in the presence of [32 P] phosphate and [2-3H]glycerol resulted in the labelling of all phospholipids of the parasite, except that the [2-3H] label did not incorporate into ethanolamine plasmalogen. This is in agreement with the concept that in animals, glycerol is introduced into plasmalogens via dihydroxyacetonephosphate.

4. 4. Homogenates of liver flukes were found to catalyze the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine from 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerols and CDPcholine.

5. 5. These results strongly suggest that Fasciola hepatica is capable of synthesizing at least part of its fatty acids and phospholipids.