Fatty Acid and Fatty Aldehyde Composition of Glial Cell Lipids Isolated From Bovine White Matter

Glial cells were isolated from bovine white matter by differential centrifugation. The fatty aldehyde and fatty acid compositions of ethanolamine glycerophosphatides (EGP), serine glycerophosphatides (SGP) and choline glycerophosphatides (CGP) were determined by gas‐liquid chromatography. The fatty acid compositions of the sphingo‐lipids including sphingomyelin, cerebroside and cerebroside sulphate, and of minor lipid components including cholesterol esters and triglycerides, were also determined by gas‐liquid chromatography. The relative proportions correlated closely with the results obtained by O'B rien and S ampson (1965 b ) for adult human brain. The fatty aldehyde compositions of the glycerophosphatides were more closely related to the corresponding fatty acid compositions of the plasma membrane than of the mitochondria. Long‐chain fatty acids (19–26 carbon atoms) were detected in sphingomyelin, cerebroside and cerebroside sulphate; this indicates that chain‐elongation beyond C 18 occurs in the glial cells.