MILD NONENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS OF AN ESTER BOND BETWEEN THE ORTHOPHOSPHORIC ACID AND ETHANOLAMINE RESIDUES IN PHOSPHATIDYLETHANOLAMINES

Acetylation of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) yielding its N-acetamide (AcPE) brings about changes in the charge and conformation of the pola r head group. As a result, the P-O-C bond of AcPE can be hydrolysed, w ith the formation of ethanolamine (EA) N-acetamide (AcEA), under much more mild conditions than the respective bond in the original PE. Thus , introduction of an acyl substituent into the PE amino moiety exerts a profound effect on the course of hydrolysis of the PE P-O-C bond sep arated from this moiety by two CH2 segments.