Phospholipids of Trypanosoma lewisi, T. vivax, T. congolense, and T. brucei

Abstract The mean lipid content of various isolates of Trypanosoma lewisi, T. vivax, T. congolense , and T. brucei ranged from 12.3 to 19.4% of the dry weight. The total lipid phosphorus in most isolations was similar, the means ranging from 2.17 to 2.61 mg of phosphorus per 100 mg of lipid; one isolation of T. vivax , however, had a mean of 2.07, which was significantly different from another of the same species. Five main phosphorus-containing fractions were separated by thin-layer chromatography; four were identified as the phospholipids: lysolecithin, sphingomyelin, lecithin, and phosphatidyl ethanolamine, while the other fraction could not be identified. Two further minor phosphorus-containing fractions were sometimes seen but their identities were unknown. Differences were found in the amounts of the various phospholipids—as shown by the distribution of lipid phosphorus—between some of the species of trypanosomes. T. lewisi was distinguished by its low sphingomyelin and high lecithin values, while T. congolense had more lecithin than T. brucei . Variation also occurred between different isolations of the same species. One isolation of T. vivax differed markedly from two others of T. vivax in having a high sphingomyelin, a low lecithin and possibly a low phosphatidyl ethanolamine content. One T. congolense isolation had possibly less phosphatidyl ethanolamine than others of the same species. Significant differences were detected between the extremes in the ranges of values for sphingomyelin and lecithin among the isolations of T. brucei .