Acyl Bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate,assumed to be a marker for lysosomes,is a major phospholipid of vaccinia virions

A hitherto unknown major phospholipid of purified vaccinia virions harvested from lysed cells was identified as acyl bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate by chromatographic comparison with synthetic bisphosphatidic acid and various analogs. It accounts for 20–30% of the total viral phospholipids. Digestion with pancreatic phospholipase A₂ liberates fatty acids and results in bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate, which is thought to represent a phospholipid marker for cellular lysosomes. Possible implications for the intracellular virus dissemination are discussed.