The metabolism of 1-Acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine compounds represents a tightly coordinated sequence of biosynthetic and degradative processes that connect lipid metabolism with central carbon pathways such as glycolysis. The pathway typically begins with the formation of glycerol 3-phosphate, generated through the NADPH-dependent reduction of dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) by glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, linking the lipid pathway to glycolytic intermediates. This glycerol 3-phosphate then serves as a foundational scaffold for phospholipid biosynthesis. In the first acylation step, glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase transfers an acyl group from a corresponding acyl-CoA (such as lauroyl-, myristoyl-, or palmitoyl-CoA) to the sn-1 position, producing a lysophosphatidic acid (LysoPA) species. A second acyl chain, typically unsaturated, is added at the sn-2 position by 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase, forming a fully acylated phosphatidic acid (PA). This PA is then activated by CDP-diglyceride synthetase using cytidine triphosphate (CTP) to yield CDP-diacylglycerol (CDP-DG), a key intermediate in the biosynthesis of phospholipids. Through the action of phosphatidylserine synthase, L-serine is incorporated to form phosphatidylserine (PS), which is subsequently decarboxylated by phosphatidylserine decarboxylase to produce phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). This PE can then undergo N-acylation of its ethanolamine headgroup, catalyzed by phospholipase A1, which transfers an additional acyl group (often saturated) from an acyl-CoA to form 1-Acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (N-acyl-PE). At this point, the N-acyl-PE molecule may function as a membrane-associated signaling or structural lipid. However, it can also be routed back into central metabolism. Glycerophosphoryl diester phosphodiesterase hydrolyzes the compound to yield 1-acyl-sn-glycerol 3-phosphate, ethanolamine, and a proton. The liberated ethanolamine is further catabolized by ethanolamine ammonia-lyase, which converts it into acetaldehyde and ammonia. Acetaldehyde is then oxidized by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase in the presence of NAD⁺ and Coenzyme A to form acetyl-CoA, a core metabolic intermediate that feeds directly into the TCA cycle or glycolysis via the acetyl-CoA.

1-Acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (N-C12:0) metabolism References