Application

L-α-Phosphatidylcholine is one of several phospholipids used in membrane research and is often used as a component in liposomal drug delivery systems.In this case it is added to culture media to differentiate the specific phospholipase producing microorganisms from those that cannot.

Biochem/physiol Actions

A major structural phospholipid in brain, comprising approx. 15% of total lipid; primarily localized to gray matter.

General description

This L-α-phosphatidylcholine is extracted and purified from soybeans. It serves as a substrate for specific phospholipase present in all Listeria monocytogenes and some strains of Listeria ivanovii. If L-α-phosphatidylcholine is used in a solid medium the presence of organisms possessing the specific phospholipase can be detected. The phosphatidylcholine is cleaved which results in a precipitate which can be seen as opaque halo around the colonies.