Cardiolipin

Cardiolipins is the common name for a group of Diphosphatidylglycerinen ( precisely: 1,3-bis ( sn- 3 -phosphatidyl ) -sn -glycerol ), phospholipids with four fatty acid residues. The trivial name refers to the heart ( gr cardia, καρδία ) from which the substances were first isolated. They are only in the membranes of bacteria and mitochondria (where, especially in the inner membrane ) before and here, inter alia, stabilizing the proteins for oxidative phosphorylation. Cardiolipins also bind to the DNA in chromatin state and therefore are probably involved in gene regulation. Are the only phospholipids that are synthesized in the mitochondria. Antibodies are formed against syphilis pathogen ( Treponema pallidum ), also bind to cardiolipins. Therefore, these phospholipids can be used as non-specific antigens in diagnostic tests for syphilis.