Numerical symbol | Structure | Stems of | 'Name' | ||
H3C-(R)-CO2H | systematic namesa | trivial namesb | symbol | ||
1 | 10:0 | -[CH2]8- | Decano- | Capr-c | Dec |
2 | 12:0 | -[CH2]l0- | Dodecano- | Laur- | Lau |
3 | 14:0 | -[CH2]12- | Tetradecano- | Myrist- | Myr |
4 | 16:0 | -[CH2]14- | Hexadecano- | Palmit- | Pam |
5 | 16:1 | -[CH2]5CH=CH[CH2]7- | 9-Hexadeceno- | Palmitole- | DPam |
6 | 18:0 | -[CH2]16- | Octadecano- | Stear- | Ste |
7 | 18:1(9) | -[CH2]7CH=CH[CH2]7- | cis-9-Octadeceno- | Ole- | Ole |
8 | 18:1(11) | -[CH2]5CH=CH[CH2]9- | 11-Octadeceno- | Vaccen- | Vac |
9 | 18:2(9,12) | -[CH2]3(CH2CH=CH)2[CH2]7- | cis,cis-9,12-Octadecadieno- | Linole | Lin |
10 | 18:3(9,12,15) | -(CH2CH=CH)3[CH2]7- | 9,12,15-Octadecatrieno- | (9,12,15)-Linolen- | aLnn |
11 | 18:3(6,9,12) | -[CH2]3(CH2CH=CH)3[CH2]4- | 6,9,12-Octadecatrieno- | (6,9,12)-Linolen- | gLnn |
12 | 18:3(9,11,13) | -[CH2]3(CH=CH)3[CH2]7- | 9,11,13-Octadecatrieno- | Eleostear- | eSte |
13 | 20:0 | -[CH2]18- | Icosano-d | Arachid- | Ach |
14 | 20:2(8,11) | -[CH2]6(CH2CH=CH)2[CH2]6- | 8,11-Icosadieno-d | D2Ach | |
15 | 20:3(5,8,11) | -[CH2]6(CH2CH=CH)3[CH2]3- | 5,8,11-Icosatrieno-d | D3Ach | |
16 | 20:4(5,8,11,14) | -[CH2]3(CH2CH=CH)4[CH2]3- | 5,8,11,14-Icosatetraeno-d | Arachidon- | D4Ach |
17 | 22:0 | -[CH2]20- | Docosano- | Behen- | Beh |
18 | 24:0 | -[CH2]22- | Tetracosano- | Lignocer- | Lig |
19 | 24:1 | -[CH2]7CH=CH[CH2]13- | cis-15-Tetracoseno- | Nervon- | Ner |
20 | 26:0 | [CH2]24- | Hexacosano- | Cerot- | Crt |
21 | 28:0 | -[CH2]26- | Octacosano- | Montan- | Mon |
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
Name | Symbola |
For alkyl radicalsb | R |
Methyl, ethyl, . . . dodecyl | Me, Et, Pr, Bu, Pe, Hx, Hp, Oc, Nn, Dec, Und, Dod |
For aliphatic carboxylic acidsb | Acyl (not abbreviated), RCO- |
Formyl, acetyl, glycoloyl, propionyl | Fo (or HCO), Ac, Gc, Pp |
Butyryl, valeryl | Br, Vl |
Hexanoyl, heptanoyl, octanoyl | Hxo, Hpo, Oco |
Nonanoyl, decanoyl, undecanoyl | Nno, Dco, Udo |
Lauroyl, myristoyl, palmitoyl | Lau, Myr, Pam |
Stearoyl, eleostearoyl, linoleoyl, arachidonoyl | Ste, eSte, Lin, D4Ach |
For glycerol and its oxidation productsc | |
Glycerol, glyceraldehyde, glycerone, glyceric acid | Gro, Gra, Grn, Gri |
For 'glycosyl' | Ose |
Glucose, galactose, fucose.... | Glcd, Gal, Fuc ... |
Gluconic acid, glucuronic acid | GlcA, GlcUe |
Glucosaminef, N-acetylglucosamine | GlcN, GlcNAc |
Neuraminic, sialic, muramic acids | Neu, Sia, Mur |
N-Acetylneuraminic acid, N-glycoloylneuraminic acid | NeuAcg, NeuGc |
Deoxy | d |
Miscellaneous | |
Ceramide, choline, ethanolamine | Cer, Cho, Etnh |
Inositol, serine | Ins, Ser |
Phosphatidyl, sphingosine, sphingoid, Phosphoric residue | Ptd, Sph, Spd, P |
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 Documenta | Designation according to Wiegandtb | Svennerholmc | |
1. | I3NeuAc-GalCer | GGal1NeuAc | - |
2. | II3NeuAc-LacCer | GLac1NeuAc | GM3 |
3. | II3NeuGe-LacCer | GLac1NeuNGl | - |
4. | II3(NeuAc)2-LacCer | GLac2NeuAc | GD3 |
5. | II3NeuAc/NeuGc-LacCer | GLac2NeuAc/NeuNGl | - |
6. | II3NeuGc-LacCer | GLac2NeuNGl | - |
7. | II3NeuAc-GgOse3Cer | GGtri1NeuAc | GM2 |
8. | II3NeuAc-GgOse4Cer | GGtet1NeuAc | GM1 |
9. | IV3NeuAc-nLcOse4Cer | GLntet1aNeuAc | GM1-GlcNAc |
10. | IV6NeuAc-nLcOse4Cer | GLntet1bNeuAc | - |
11. | IV2Fuc,II3NeuAc-GgOse4Cer | GGfpt1NeuAc | - |
12. | IV3NeuAc-nLcOse4Cer | - | - |
13. | II3(NeuAc)2-GgOse4Cer | GGtet2bNeuAc | GD1b |
14. | IV3NeuAc,II3NeuAc-GgOse4Cer | GGtet2aNeuAc | GD1a |
15. | II3(NeuAc)3-GgOse4Cer | GGtet3bNeuAc | - |
16. | IV3NeuAc,II3(NeuAc)2-GgOse4Cer | GGtet3aNeuAc | GT1 |
17. | IV3NeuAc,II3(NeuAc)3-GgOse4Cer | GGtet4bNeuAc | - |
18. | IV3(NeuAc)2II3(NeuAc)3-GgOse4Cer | GGtet5NeuAc | - |
19. | IV3NeuAc,II3NeuAc-GgOse5Cer | GGpt2aNeuAc | - |
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].
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