Question

how amino acids are involved in the synthesis of phospholipids (Beside being a building blocks)

Answer 1

Phospholipid synthesis involve following steps :

In the first step Glycerol-3-phosphate is formed. The next step involves activation of Fatty acid group by forming Fatty acyl CoA. Then these are transferred to make ester linkage with Glycerol-3-phosphate .

Head groups are added in 2 ways :

First way : Activation of Diacylglycerol is done with CDP forming Phosphatidylinsitol cardiolipin phosphotidyl glycerol.

Second way : Activation of Head group with CDP forming Phosphatidylcholine and Phosphotidyl ethanolamine.

Phosphotidyl serine is synthesized from Phosphotidyl ethanolamine serine transferase.

Phosphotidyl ethanolamine can be converted into lecithin by adding three methyl group by amino group.

Here s- adenomethylmethionine is methyl donor. And therefore in this way amino acid is involved in synthesis of phospholipid.