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Differences In Membrane Acyl Phospholipid Composition Between An Endothermic Mammal And An Ectothermic Reptile Are Not Limited To Any Phospholipid Class, Stephen J. Blanksby, Todd W. Mitchell, Anthony J. Hulbert, Paul Else, K Ekroos

Stephen Blanksby

This study examined questions concerning differences in the acyl composition of membrane phospholipids that have been linked to the faster rates of metabolic processes in endotherms versus ectotherms. In liver, kidney, heart and brain of the ectothermic reptile, Trachydosaurus rugosus, and the endothermic mammal, Rattus norvegicus, previous findings of fewer unsaturates but a greater unsaturation index (UI) in membranes of the mammal versus those of the reptile were confirmed. Moreover, the study showed that the distribution of phospholipid head-group classes was similar in the same tissues of the reptile and mammal and that the differences in acyl composition were present …