Lipid composition of further purified bovine liver nuclear membranes

The lipid content, distribution and fatty acid composition of highly purified bovine liver nuclear membranes was determined and compared to those of microsomes prepared in parallel. Contrasted with microsomes, nuclear membranes while containing nearly the same levels of lipid had more cholesterol and total neutral lipid and less phospholipid. Phospholipid and neutral lipid patterns generally were similar for the two types of membranes. The same fatty acids, in similar proportions, were observed in respective total lipid, total polar lipid, phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine fractions of the two membrane types. The microsomal lipid fractions contained slightly greater percentages of unsaturated fatty acids. With respect to previous results from preparations contaminated with nonmenbranous nuclear material, purified fractions contained more total lipid on a protein basis and more total unsaturated fatty acids. Only minor differences in levels and distribution of phospholipids and neutral lipids were observed between the crude and highly purified fractions.