Phosphonolipids: Localization in Surface Membranes of <i>Tetrahymena</i>

Abstract

Approximately 60 percent of the phospholipids from the membrane sheath of Tetrahymena pyriformis cilia contain 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid. This is more than twice the concentration found in total cell lipids. The resistance of these lipids to hydrolytic enzymes suggests that they increase the stability of the surface membranes.