OCCURRENCE OF ALKANES IN BRAIN MYELIN. COMPARISON BETWEEN NORMAL AND QUAKING MOUSE

Abstract

Abstract— Alkanes, a new class of neurolipid, were found in mouse brain, the level being reduced in the Quaking mutant. These hydrocarbons are concentrated in myelin; minor amounts being found in microsomes, mitochondria and synaptosomes. The average recovery is 7.1 μg/mg in normal myelin, 2.2 in the Quaking myelin. The distribution pattern of these alkanes was determined by gas liquid chromatography and was found to differ in normal and Quaking myelin; the hydrocarbons consist mainly of n ‐alkanes ranging from C 21 to C 32 with even and odd aliphatic chains.