Glycerophosphoglycerol is a precursor for complex phospholipids, including the cardiolipins in mitochondria, which can form abundant negative ions [1]. Glycerophosphoglycerol is the main component of the cell membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, whose transport between the inner and outer membranes is bidirectional, and Glycerophosphoglycerol is crucial for maintaining the stability of the cell membrane and the survival of the bacteria [2]. Glycerophospholipids, through promoting the synthesis of phospholipids, help in the reconstruction and proliferation of tumor cell membranes, which can be used to assess the glycolytic activity of breast cancer cells[3]. Glycerophosphoglycerol is widely used as a substrate to detect the hydrolytic activity of glycerol phosphate diester phosphatase from Escherichia coli[4].
References:
[1] Pulfer M, Murphy R C. Electrospray mass spectrometry of phospholipids[J]. Mass spectrometry reviews, 2003, 22(5): 332-364.
[2] Sun L, Zhang Y, Cai T, et al. CrrAB regulates PagP-mediated glycerophosphoglycerol palmitoylation in the outer membrane of Klebsiella pneumoniae[J]. Journal of Lipid Research, 2022, 63(9).
[3] Hutschenreuther A, Birkenmeier G, Bigl M, et al. Glycerophosphoglycerol, beta-alanine, and pantothenic acid as metabolic companions of glycolytic activity and cell migration in breast cancer cell lines[J]. Metabolites, 2013, 3(4): 1084-1101.
[4] Larson T J, van Loo-Bhattacharya A T. Purification and characterization of glpQ-encoded glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase from Escherichia coli K-12[J]. Archives of biochemistry and biophysics, 1988, 260(2): 577-584.