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Plant cells in culture are capable of incorporating exogenous 1-O-alkyl-sn-glycerols into various neutral and ionic ether lipids. 1-O-Alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholines, the major class of compounds thus formed, are used for the preparation of platelet activating factor (PAF) in high yields. Similarly, the prochiral 2-O-alkyl-sn-glycerols are transformed to chiral 2-O-alkyl glycerophospholipids from which compounds can be obtained that exhibit antiviral activity in plant and animal cells. Reaction of 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholines with phospholipase D in the presence of ethanolamine leads to 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamines, which serve as starting material for the preparation of 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(N-acyl)ethanolamines, compounds known to have antitumor activity.

Some naturally occurring as well as synthetic ether lipids are biologically active. In certain cases, the effects of these substances are enhanced, in others, they are inhibited by compounds that were isolated from natural sources or prepared by chemical synthesis. The biotransformation of natural or "unnatural" ether lipids in microorganisms, plant or animal tissue also can lead to substances that elicit biological effects. The production of such compounds through various biotechnological techniques is a field wide open for future exploration. In addition to animal cell cultures, plant cell cultures may become useful tools in biomedical studies concerned with ether lipids.

Lipids containing hydroxy fatty acids or hydroxyacyl moieties are acetylated with [1-14C]acetic anhydride or [3H]acetic anhydride, and the content of hydroxy fatty acids or hydroxyacyl moieties is estimated from the specific radioactivity of the acetylated products with respect to that of radioactive standards, such as radioacetylated ricinoleic acid or triricinoleoylglycerol. Mixtures of triacylglycerols containing one, two and three hydroxyl groups per molecule are derivatized in a similar manner, and the resulting acetates are fractionated by thin layer chromatography according to the number of acetate groups per molecule. The relative proportion of each type of triacylglycerols in the mixture is estimated from the distribution of radioactivity in the various fractions. Applications of these techniques are demonstrated by the analysis of several seed lipids.