The Respiration of the Rabbit Epididymis and Its Synthesis of Glycerylphosphorylcholine

Abstract

The synthesis of glycerylphosphorylcholine (GPO) has been studied in the caput epididymis of the rabbit in vitro using [32P]orthophosphate and [Me-140]choline. The incorporation of 32p or 14C into GPO was much greater than into lecithin and the ratio of 32p to 140 was much less in the GPC than in lecithin. Coenzyme A and stearate caused a ~ixty-fold stimulation of the incorporation of 32p into lecithin but only a sevenfold stimulation of incorporation into GPO. The results of these experiments are not consistent with lecithin being the major immediate precursor of GPC, in vitro.