clone.
Lipids associated with NR are comprised mainly of neutral lipids
and phospholipids (9). The principle phospholipids of the rubber
particles are α-lecithin. Other lipids are sterol esters, fats, which are
a subgroup of lipids called triglycerides, and waxes (Tangpakdee, J.,
Ph.D. thesis, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo,
1998). The presence of the phosphatidylcholine and small amounts of
phosphatidylethanolamine associated with the rubber particles has
also been reported (10). Recently, NR was described to contain
phospholipid molecules at the α-termini of the rubber chain
associated via mono- and diphosphate groups at the chain-end (11).
Moreover, it also appears that phosphate groups of phospholipids
originate the branching formation in DPNR (12). For clarity, the
proteins and phospholipids associated to the rubber chain-end were
referred to as associated proteins and phospholipids, respectively