Nomenclature of Lipids

Appendixes A-C

Continued from Lip-3 and Lip-4


Contents of this section

  • Appendix A: names of and symbols for higher fatty acids
  • Appendix B: symbols recommended for various constituents of lipids
  • Appendix C: abbreviated representation of gangliosides
    Appendix A. Names of and symbols for higher fatty acids

    Numerical symbolStructureStems of'Name'
    H3C-(R)-CO2Hsystematic namesatrivial namesb symbol
    110:0-[CH2]8-Decano-Capr-cDec
    212:0-[CH2]l0-Dodecano-Laur-Lau
    314:0-[CH2]12-Tetradecano-Myrist-Myr
    416:0-[CH2]14- Hexadecano-Palmit-Pam
    516:1-[CH2]5CH=CH[CH2]7-9-Hexadeceno-Palmitole-DPam
    618:0-[CH2]16- Octadecano-Stear-Ste
    718:1(9)-[CH2]7CH=CH[CH2]7-cis-9-Octadeceno-Ole-Ole
    818:1(11)-[CH2]5CH=CH[CH2]9-11-Octadeceno-Vaccen-Vac
    918:2(9,12)-[CH2]3(CH2CH=CH)2[CH2]7-cis,cis-9,12-Octadecadieno-LinoleLin
    1018:3(9,12,15)-(CH2CH=CH)3[CH2]7-9,12,15-Octadecatrieno-(9,12,15)-Linolen-aLnn
    1118:3(6,9,12)-[CH2]3(CH2CH=CH)3[CH2]4-6,9,12-Octadecatrieno-(6,9,12)-Linolen-gLnn
    1218:3(9,11,13)-[CH2]3(CH=CH)3[CH2]7-9,11,13-Octadecatrieno-Eleostear-eSte
    1320:0-[CH2]18-Icosano-dArachid-Ach
    1420:2(8,11)-[CH2]6(CH2CH=CH)2[CH2]6-8,11-Icosadieno-dD2Ach
    1520:3(5,8,11)-[CH2]6(CH2CH=CH)3[CH2]3-5,8,11-Icosatrieno-dD3Ach
    1620:4(5,8,11,14)-[CH2]3(CH2CH=CH)4[CH2]3-5,8,11,14-Icosatetraeno-dArachidon-D4Ach
    1722:0-[CH2]20-Docosano-Behen-Beh
    1824:0-[CH2]22-Tetracosano-Lignocer- Lig
    1924:1-[CH2]7CH=CH[CH2]13-cis-15-Tetracoseno-Nervon-Ner
    2026:0[CH2]24-Hexacosano-Cerot-Crt
    2128:0-[CH2]26-Octacosano-Montan-Mon
    a Ending in '-ic', '-ate', '-yl', for acid, salt or ester, acyl radical, respectively.

    b Ending in '-ic', '-ate', '-oyl' for acid, salt or ester, or acyl radical, respectively.

    c Not recommended because of confusion with caproic (hexanoic) and caprylic (octanoic) acids. Decanoic is preferred.

    d Formerly 'eicosa' (Changed by IUPAC Commission on Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry, 1975).

    Appendix B. Symbols recommended for various constituents of lipids

    NameSymbola
    For alkyl radicalsbR
      Methyl, ethyl, . . . dodecylMe, Et, Pr, Bu, Pe, Hx, Hp, Oc, Nn, Dec, Und, Dod
    For aliphatic carboxylic acidsbAcyl (not abbreviated), RCO-
      Formyl, acetyl, glycoloyl, propionyl Fo (or HCO), Ac, Gc, Pp
      Butyryl, valerylBr, Vl
      Hexanoyl, heptanoyl, octanoylHxo, Hpo, Oco
      Nonanoyl, decanoyl, undecanoylNno, Dco, Udo
      Lauroyl, myristoyl, palmitoylLau, Myr, Pam
      Stearoyl, eleostearoyl, linoleoyl, arachidonoylSte, eSte, Lin, D4Ach
    For glycerol and its oxidation productsc
      Glycerol, glyceraldehyde, glycerone, glyceric acidGro, Gra, Grn, Gri
    For 'glycosyl'Ose
      Glucose, galactose, fucose....Glcd, Gal, Fuc ...
      Gluconic acid, glucuronic acidGlcA, GlcUe
      Glucosaminef, N-acetylglucosamineGlcN, GlcNAc
      Neuraminic, sialic, muramic acidsNeu, Sia, Mur
      N-Acetylneuraminic acid, N-glycoloylneuraminic acidNeuAcg, NeuGc
      Deoxy d
    Miscellaneous
      Ceramide, choline, ethanolamineCer, Cho, Etnh
      Inositol, serineIns, Ser
      Phosphatidyl, sphingosine, sphingoid, Phosphoric residuePtd, Sph, Spd, P
    a These symbols are constructed in analogy to those already in use for amino acids and saccharides [11, 13]; they may assist the abbreviated representation of more complex lipids in a way similar to the peptides and polysaccharides. Prefixes such as 'iso-', 'tert-', 'cyclo' are specified in the symbols by lower-case superscripts (Pri, But, Hxc) or lower-case prefixes (iPr, tBu, cHx), unsaturation by, e.g., D3 for a 3,4 double bond, D3 for a 3,4 triple bond (cf. Proteins, Vol. I, pp. 96-108, in Handbook of Biochemistry, 3rd edition, edited by G. Fasman, CRC Press, Cleveland, Ohio, 1976). Many of these symbols are drawn from previously published Recommendations [11, 12]. See also Appendix A.

    b Systematic and recommended trivial names of unbranched, acyclic compounds only (cf. Appendix A). Other forms are created by prefixes (e.g., 'iso-', 'tert-', 'cyclo-'). See Appendix A.

    c These symbols form a self-consistent series for a group of closely related compounds. It is recognized that other abbreviations (but no symbols) are currently in use. (See Lip-2.12.)

    d Not Glu (glutamic acid) or G (nonspecific).

    e Recommended in place of GlcUA, the 'A' being unnecessary.

    f Approved trivial name for 2-amino-2-deoxyglucose; similarly for galactose (GalNAc), etc.

    g AcNeu was recommended earlier [11]. When it is necessary to differentiate between N-acetyl and O-acetyl derivatives, NeuNAc and NeuOAc (italicized locants, in contradistinction to GalNAc, etc.) may be employed.

    h May take the form OEtN< if substitution on the nitrogen atom is to be indicated.

    Appendix C. Abbreviated representation of gangliosides

    Lipid DocumentaDesignation according to WiegandtbSvennerholmc
    1.I3NeuAc-GalCerGGal1NeuAc-
    2.II3NeuAc-LacCerGLac1NeuAc GM3
    3.II3NeuGe-LacCerGLac1NeuNGl-
    4.II3(NeuAc)2-LacCerGLac2NeuAcGD3
    5.II3NeuAc/NeuGc-LacCerGLac2NeuAc/NeuNGl-
    6.II3NeuGc-LacCerGLac2NeuNGl-
    7.II3NeuAc-GgOse3CerGGtri1NeuAcGM2
    8.II3NeuAc-GgOse4CerGGtet1NeuAcGM1
    9.IV3NeuAc-nLcOse4CerGLntet1aNeuAcGM1-GlcNAc
    10.IV6NeuAc-nLcOse4CerGLntet1bNeuAc-
    11.IV2Fuc,II3NeuAc-GgOse4CerGGfpt1NeuAc-
    12.IV3NeuAc-nLcOse4Cer--
    13.II3(NeuAc)2-GgOse4Cer GGtet2bNeuAc GD1b
    14.IV3NeuAc,II3NeuAc-GgOse4Cer GGtet2aNeuAcGD1a
    15.II3(NeuAc)3-GgOse4CerGGtet3bNeuAc-
    16.IV3NeuAc,II3(NeuAc)2-GgOse4CerGGtet3aNeuAcGT1
    17.IV3NeuAc,II3(NeuAc)3-GgOse4CerGGtet4bNeuAc-
    18.IV3(NeuAc)2II3(NeuAc)3-GgOse4Cer GGtet5NeuAc-
    19.IV3NeuAc,II3NeuAc-GgOse5Cer GGpt2aNeuAc -
    a To indicate linkage points and anomeric form: Fuc should be written (1aFuc); NeuAc should be written (2aNeuAc); (NeuAc)2 should be written (2aNeuAc8)2; etc. If these features are assumed or defined, the short form used in this column is more convenient for use in texts and tables.

    b The subscripts to G (for ganglioside), from 7 on, have the meanings: Gtri = gangliotriose, Gtet = gangliotetraose, Litet = lactoisotetraose, Gpt = gangliopentaose, Gfpt = gangliofucopentaose [Wiegand, H. (1973) Hoppe-Seyler's Z. Physiol. Chem. 354, 1049].

    c G = ganglioside, M = monosialo, D = disialo, T = trisialo. Arabic numerals indicate sequence of migration in thin-layer chromatograms [Svennerholm, L. (1963) J. Neurochem. 10, 613].


    Continued with Supplement: derivatives of phosphatidic acid

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