Identification of Lipid Composition and Structure in Chloroplasts

Lipids are usually defined as a class of small molecular compounds that are insoluble in water and soluble in organic solvents, and are very important substances in living organisms. The study found that the lipid composition of chloroplast membranes differs in many ways from other membranes in plant cells and appears to largely reflect the organelle's cyanobacterial origin. Sterols and sphingolipids are important components of plant plasma membranes, Golgi apparatus and vacuolar bodies, but they are completely absent from chloroplast membranes. In the thylakoid membranes of higher plants, the main components are monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG) and Sulfoquinolosyl diacylglycerol (SQDG) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG). However, there may be some differences in the composition and content of these lipid components in the chloroplasts of different plants. In conclusion, as the main components constituting the chloroplast membrane, lipids have molecular diversity and multiple biological functions, including providing a suitable environment for protein interactions, storing energy, participating in photosynthesis, and acting as important messenger molecules.

Fig. 1. Structures of chloroplast lipids. (Hölzl G, et al., 2019)

Services

The chloroplast is the main site of fatty acid synthesis in plant cells. The premise of identification and structural analysis of chloroplast lipid compounds is the extraction of lipids from complex matrices. On the basis of traditional extraction of chloroplast lipid compounds, we used solid-phase extraction (SPE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and pressurized fluid extraction (PFE) techniques to process lipid samples, significantly improved the extraction efficiency of chloroplast lipid compounds. Over the years, the team at Lifeasible has accumulated extensive experience in chloroplast lipidomic analysis. Our scientists are committed to providing chloroplast lipid composition and structure identification services to determine the lipid composition and structure analysis of the chloroplast envelope of various plants, so as to reflect the differences in envelope and lamellar membrane functions. We have successfully analyzed the chloroplast membranes of a variety of plants including sunflower, spinach and undifferentiated corn. Our services include but are not limited to:

· Separation of Lipid Components in Chloroplasts
We separated different lipids in chloroplasts by thin layer chromatography and determined fatty acid methyl esters by gas chromatography.

· Determination of Chloroplast Intact Membrane Glycerolipids
We successfully established two LC-MS analysis strategies for glycerolipids: direct infusion tandem mass spectrometry (shotgun lipidomics or electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry) and high performance liquid chromatography to separate lipids prior to mass spectrometry. In addition, we identified chloroplast lipid compounds using several spray reagents and compared RF values obtained with lipid standards.

Competitive Advantages

• The powerful LC-MS method yields quantitative results for hundreds of glycerolipid molecular species in minutes with unprecedented accuracy.
• Allowing the characterization of even minor lipid changes in stress or plant mutants.
• Multiple technology platforms support improved detection sensitivity and qualitative capabilities for lipid compounds.
• It is suitable for the isolation and identification of complex lipid compounds in chloroplasts without derivatization.
• Our dedicated team enables the simultaneous analysis of several, one or a few classes of lipid compounds.
• Fully customized service available according to your requirements.

Lifeasible can meet the needs of customers on time and on budget through a wide range of chloroplast lipidomics analysis strategies. Our aim is to be customer-centric and to provide the highest quality service to customers around the world. Our skilled and dedicated scientific researchers ensure that the most appropriate methods and techniques are selected for each specialized chloroplast project. Our customer service representatives are enthusiastic and trustworthy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us for more information or a detailed discussion.

References

1. Hölzl G, Dörmann P. (2019) Chloroplast lipids and their biosynthesis[J]. Annual Review of Plant Biology. 70: 51-81.
2. Poincelot R P. (1976) Lipid and fatty acid composition of chloroplast envelope membranes from species with differing net photosynthesis[J]. Plant physiology. 58(4): 595-598.