Phospholipids (PL) and lysophospholipids (LPL)

Class abbreviations

Common Name Lipid Class Abbreviation
Bis[monoacylglycero]phosphates Monoacylglycerophosphomonoradylglycerols BMP
Cardiolipins Glycerophosphoglycerophosphoglycerols CL
Phosphatidic acids Glycerophosphates PA
Phosphatidylcholines Glycerophosphocholines PC
Phosphatidylethanolamines Glycerophosphoethanolamines PE
Phosphatidylgylcerols Glycerophosphoglycerols PG
Phosphatidylgylcerolphosphates Glycerophosphoglycerophosphates PGP
Phosphatidylinositols Glycerophosphoinositols PI
Phosphatidylserines Glycerophosphoserines PS
Lysophospholipids Prefix L
Phosphatidylinositol-mannoside PIM

Specific rules for molecular species of PL and LPL classes with known fatty acyl/alkyl constituents

  • separator_: sn-position of acyl/alkyl constituents is not known. Order of constituent presentation as described for glycerolipids, e.g. PC 16:0_18:2.
  • separator/: sn-position of acyl/alkyl constituents is proven (sn-1/sn-2 or sn-2/sn-3); no constituent 0:0; e.g. PC 16:0/18:2.
  • For BMP and CL classes sn-position order will be sn-2/sn-3/sn-2'/sn-3' and sn-1/sn-2/sn-1'/sn-2', respectively.
  • When only one acyl chain or DG moieties of CL are known, sum of acyl residues are presented, e.g. CL 16:0_54:3 and CL 34:1_36:2, respectively. LPL molecular species with unknown sn-position are presented as, e.g. LPE 18:1, with known sn-position as LPE 18:1/0:0. Other bond types than ester bonds are indicated as follows in front of the sum of C-atoms for acyl/alkyl constituents:
  • O = alkyl, e.g. PE O-36:4, with proven sn-position PE O-16:0/20:4.
  • P = proven O-alk-1-enyl-bond (the acid-sensitive ether bond in “Plasmalogens” is not counted as a DB/DBE within the alkyl-chain), e.g. PE P-18:0/20:4, at higher resolution PE P-18:0/20:4.
  • More than one "non"-ester bond is indicated in front of the bond type as d for di, t for tri, and e for tetra.

Hierarchical shorthand notation for examples of PL and LPL containing ester and/or ether bonds

Species level: Sum composition, Molecular species level: Lipid species with identified acyl/alkyl-residues, sn-Position level: Fatty acyl/alkyl constituents at glycerol backbone are indicated by a slash, Full structure level: Molecular species with constituents and functional groups including positions.
Bond type Species level1 Molecular species level sn-Position level Full structure level
Diacyl BMP 34:2 BMP 16:0_18:2 BMP 16:0/0:0/18:2/0:0
sn-2/sn-3/sn-2'/
sn-3' 		BMP 16:0/0:0/18:2(9Z,12Z)/0:0sn-2/sn-3/sn-2'/sn-3'
BMP structure
Tetraacyl CL 72:7 CL 18:1_18:2_18:2_18:2
CL 18:1_54:6 (only one acyl chain identified)
CL 36:3_36:4 (known DG fragments) 		CL 18:1/18:2/18:2/18:2
sn-1/sn-2/sn-1'/
sn-2' 		CL 18:1(9Z)/18:2(9Z,12Z)/18:2(9Z,12Z)18:2(9Z,12Z)
sn-1/sn-2/sn-1'/sn-2'
Cardiolipin structure
Tetra-alkyl CL eO-80:0 CL O-20:0/O-20:0/O‑20:0 /O-20:0 CL O-20:0/O-20:0/O-20:0/O‑20:0 CL O‑16:0(3Me,7Me,11Me,15Me)/
O‑16:0(3Me,7Me,11Me,15Me)/
O‑16:0(3Me,7Me,11Me,15Me)/
O‑16:0(3Me,7Me,11Me,15Me)
Diacyl PC 34:12 PC 16:0_18:1 PC 16:0/18:1 PC 16:0/18:1(9Z)
Alkyl PC O-34:12 PC O-16:0_18:1 PC O-16:0/18:1 PC O-16:0/18:1(9Z)
Dialkyl PC dO-34:1 PC O-16:0_O-18:1 PC O-16:0/O-18:1 PC O-16:0/O-18:1(9Z)
Diacyl PE 34:13 PE 16:0_18:1 PE 16:0/18:1 PE 16:0/18:1(9Z)
Plasmalogen PE O-34:23 PE P-16:0/18:1 PE P-16:0/18:1(9Z)
Plasmalogen structure
Triacyl LCL 54:5 LCL 18:1_18:2_18:2 LCL 18:1/18:2/18:2/0:0 LCL 18:1(9Z)/18:2(9Z,12Z)/18:2(9Z,12Z)/0:0
Monoacyl LPC 16:02 LPC 16:0 LPC 16:0/0:0 LPC 16:0/0:0
Monoalkyl LPC O-16:02 LPC O-16:0 LPC O-16:0/0:0 LPC O-16:0/0:0
1 Annotation based on exact mass measurements using a high-resolution mass spectrometer, which allows differentiation of isobaric acyl and alkyl species.
2 Annotation using low resolution MS, e.g. QQQ and +PIS m/z 184 requires the assumption of even numbered carbon chains only.
3 Annotation using low resolution MS, e.g. QQQ and +NL 141 requires the assumption of even numbered carbon chains only.