The lipids of mitochondria of human gray and white matter

Mitochondrial enriched fractions were obtained separately from gray and white matter of human and bovine brains. The preparations differed in that choline and ethanolamine glycerophosphatides were present in higher concentration in mitochondria than in gray or white matter from which they were derived. The fatty acid composition also was at variance, palmitic, palmitoleic and linoleic acids being present in considerably higher concentration in the mitochondria of white matter than in the corresponding homogenate, and fatty acids of C25 and C26 chain length being absent. A deficiency of polyunsaturated fatty acids and the lowest linoleic acid were found in a preparation obtained from a multiple sclerosis brain, a lesser deficiency was noted in the preparation from an emaciated individual.