Formation of phosphatidic acid, ceramide, and diglyceride on radiolysis of lipids: identification by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

By use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, phosphatidic acid was found to be the main product of γ radiolysis of cardiolipin, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylglycerol. It has been shown that γ irradiation of such glycolipids as cerebroside and galactosyl diglyceride leads to formation of ceramide and diglyceride, respectively. These findings, combined with those obtained earlier, allowed an assumption to be made that, owing to radiation-induced free radical fragmentation of lipids in their polar moiety, formation of signaling molecules can occur.