254
JOHN C. DITTMER
ported for several organs of humans and rats (39, 122). The percentages
of phospholipid occurring as sphingomyelin in human and rat are, respectively, in lung 21.8 and 14, brain 18.3 and 5.0, liver 3.9 and 2.6,
kidney 9.0 and 14.0, spleen 9.9 and 14.1, and heart 4.9 and 4.9. The
fatty acids of the sphingomyelin of lung have been identified as principally palmitic and lignoceric and of spleen sphingomyelin as palmitic,
stearic, and lignoceric {123, 124).
Finally, in order to give some suggestion of the distribution of the
phospholipids in mammalian tissues, the data from two recent analyses
are included in Tables XI and XII.
G. PHOSPHOLIPIDS OF INVERTEBRATES
Of invertebrate phospholipids not mentioned above, the analyses of
the phospholipids of the sea anemone Gyrostoma sp. by Rajagopal and
Schonie (126) may be noted. They report on the basis of total lipid
55.1% lecithin, 4.4% sphingomyelin, and 17.3% cephalin. In sharp contrast, Bergmann and Landowne (5) report sphingomyelin and lysoplasmalogen as the only significant phospholipids in the sea anemone
Anthopleura sp. The same workers report the presence of plasmalogen
in the sponge Sphecia spongia vesparis. Plasmalogens are also a constituent of the round worm, Ascaris lumhricoides, and of the pyloric
cecum of the starfish (127). Analyses by Fairbairn (128) show that
approximately 45% of the body wall phospholipids of the round worm
is plasmalogen. Choline, ethanolamine, and traces of serine are reported;
this suggests a similarity to the phospholipids of vertebrate muscle.
Completely divergent from vertebrate phospholipids are those of the
tapeworm Taenia saginata, which consist of lecithin and inositide only
(129). No lipid ninhydrin-reactive material could be detected. The
isolation of dipalmitoyl lecithin from the larval tapeworm Cysticercus
fascio^is has been reported (130).
Etienne and Kahane (131) have isolated phosphatidylcholine from
the limpet Patella vulgata. These workers also identified betaine in the
lipids of this animal, but it is not certain that it is an actual part of a
phospholipid. Finally in regard to invertebrates, the phospholipids of
the fruit fly DrosophiL· melanogaster, which appear to be otherwise of
the classic types, contain a number of different amino acids (132).
V. The Distribution of Phospholipids in Plants
A. SEEDS
The amounts of phospholipids reported in the seeds of a variety of
plants by different workers vary considerably. Unquestionably, the
JOHN C. DITTMER
ported for several organs of humans and rats (39, 122). The percentages
of phospholipid occurring as sphingomyelin in human and rat are, respectively, in lung 21.8 and 14, brain 18.3 and 5.0, liver 3.9 and 2.6,
kidney 9.0 and 14.0, spleen 9.9 and 14.1, and heart 4.9 and 4.9. The
fatty acids of the sphingomyelin of lung have been identified as principally palmitic and lignoceric and of spleen sphingomyelin as palmitic,
stearic, and lignoceric {123, 124).
Finally, in order to give some suggestion of the distribution of the
phospholipids in mammalian tissues, the data from two recent analyses
are included in Tables XI and XII.
G. PHOSPHOLIPIDS OF INVERTEBRATES
Of invertebrate phospholipids not mentioned above, the analyses of
the phospholipids of the sea anemone Gyrostoma sp. by Rajagopal and
Schonie (126) may be noted. They report on the basis of total lipid
55.1% lecithin, 4.4% sphingomyelin, and 17.3% cephalin. In sharp contrast, Bergmann and Landowne (5) report sphingomyelin and lysoplasmalogen as the only significant phospholipids in the sea anemone
Anthopleura sp. The same workers report the presence of plasmalogen
in the sponge Sphecia spongia vesparis. Plasmalogens are also a constituent of the round worm, Ascaris lumhricoides, and of the pyloric
cecum of the starfish (127). Analyses by Fairbairn (128) show that
approximately 45% of the body wall phospholipids of the round worm
is plasmalogen. Choline, ethanolamine, and traces of serine are reported;
this suggests a similarity to the phospholipids of vertebrate muscle.
Completely divergent from vertebrate phospholipids are those of the
tapeworm Taenia saginata, which consist of lecithin and inositide only
(129). No lipid ninhydrin-reactive material could be detected. The
isolation of dipalmitoyl lecithin from the larval tapeworm Cysticercus
fascio^is has been reported (130).
Etienne and Kahane (131) have isolated phosphatidylcholine from
the limpet Patella vulgata. These workers also identified betaine in the
lipids of this animal, but it is not certain that it is an actual part of a
phospholipid. Finally in regard to invertebrates, the phospholipids of
the fruit fly DrosophiL· melanogaster, which appear to be otherwise of
the classic types, contain a number of different amino acids (132).
V. The Distribution of Phospholipids in Plants
A. SEEDS
The amounts of phospholipids reported in the seeds of a variety of
plants by different workers vary considerably. Unquestionably, the