IChO 2026 · Theory problem 5

Cardiolipins

T5. Cardiolipins

6%

5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 \(\Sigma\)
1 6 4 2 2 3 18

In this problem you are asked to be creative and build molecules from fragments. For instance, if you are required to draw a chiral phospholipid such as W using fragments a-e, it can be assembled as shown below.

Figure 1

Cardiolipins are a family of acyclic phospholipids differing in fatty acid residues. They are essential for energy production and membrane stability. Defects can lead to certain diseases. PL1 belongs to this family. Using only the structural elements a-d in the quantities stated below, it is possible to assemble the non-ionised form of PL1. R is a hydrocarbon substituent in the fatty acid structure.

Figure 2

PL1 does not contain any peroxide bonds.

5.1 Tick one correct statement regarding the value of \(n\) (number of type \(a\) fragments). 1.0 pt

(a) \(n\) is an even number,
(b) \(n\) is an odd number,
(c) \(n\) can be either an odd or an even number.

Some cardiolipins are chiral molecules, even if they contain four identical fatty acid residues, as in the case of PL1. One enantiomer of PL1 is found in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and the other only in archaea. All other diastereomers of PL1 are achiral molecules, since they have a plane of symmetry. Do not consider the chirality of phosphorus atoms as stereocentres.

PL1 is a diprotic acid with the same acidic groups. Its second deprotonation is less favourable (\(pK_{a_2}\gg pK_{a_1}\)) due to the special, stable structure of monoanion Y.

5.2 Draw the structure of one enantiomer of PL1. Draw the structure of Y in a way that shows the stabilisation that explains the difference between \(pK_{a_1}\) and \(pK_{a_2}\). Use the abbreviation R for the fatty acid residues. 6.0 pt

A series of experiments was conducted to identify the fatty acid (RCOOH) in PL1 found predominantly in mammalian hearts. During reductive ozonolysis, RCOOH forms three different organic products in equimolar amounts.

5.3 Determine the molecular formula of the fatty acid (RCOOH), if the non-ionised form of PL1 contains 255 \(\sigma\) and \(\pi\) bonds between atoms in total. Support your answer with calculations. 4.0 pt

If you were unable to find the structural formula of PL1, you can use a-d fragments from 5.1.

100 g of RCOOH reacts with 181.0 g of iodine. RCOOH also reacts in similar way with X and forms an adduct with an iodine mass fraction of 36.57%.

5.4 Determine the molecular formula of X. Support your answer with calculations. 2.0 pt

The phase behavior of PL1 depends on pH. In physiological conditions, PL1 is a dianion and it forms a lamellar phase.

5.5 Which lipid phase is formed by PL1 when both acid residues in it are protonated? 2.0 pt
Note that knowledge of PL1 structure is not required to solve this question.
Tick the correct answer.

Figure 3

The following balanced reaction equations show the hydrolysis of phospholipids PL1-PL3:

Figure 4
  • The non-ionised form of PL2 contains 254 \(\sigma\) and \(\pi\) bonds between atoms in total. It is a chiral and a more symmetrical molecule than PL1,
  • Z contains C, H, and O only, and it doesn’t react with \(\ce{H2}\) in the presence of a catalyst,
  • Phospholipid PL3 is a charged molecule at physiological pH values, and it exists as pair of enantiomers.

5.6 Draw the structures of PL2 and PL3 using R to show the fatty acid residues. Show stereochemistry where appropriate. 3.0 pt

Periodic Table of Elements

Figure 5

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

In the generic structural SMILES below, every * denotes the same hydrocarbon substituent R. Phosphorus stereochemistry is omitted as instructed.

  • 5.1: (b), \(n\) is odd. Specifically, \(n=1\).

  • 5.2: PL1 is cardiolipin, 1,3-bis(phosphatidyl)glycerol. One enantiomer, with both outer glycerol stereocentres \(S\), is
    *C(=O)OC[C@H](OC(=O)*)COP(=O)(O)OCC(O)COP(=O)(O)OC[C@@H](OC(=O)*)COC(=O)*

Y is the cardiolipin monoanion. One proton-localized representation is
*C(=O)OC[C@H](OC(=O)*)COP(=O)(O)OC[C@H](O)COP(=O)([O-])OC[C@@H](OC(=O)*)COC(=O)*

Draw two intramolecular hydrogen bonds: phosphate \(\ce{O-H}\) donates to the central glycerol oxygen, whose \(\ce{O-H}\) donates to the other phosphate’s negatively charged oxygen.

  • 5.3: \(\boxed{\ce{C18H32O2}}\), an octadecadienoic acid. A compatible representative is linoleic acid, \((9Z,12Z)\)-octadeca-9,12-dienoic acid:
    CCCCC/C=C\C/C=C\CCCCCCCC(=O)O
    The supplied data do not uniquely establish the double-bond positions or geometry.

  • 5.4: \(\boxed{\ce{IBr}}\), iodine monobromide, IBr.

  • 5.5: (d), inverse hexagonal phase.

  • 5.6: PL2 is 2′-deoxycardiolipin, containing a propane-1,3-diol bridge. One enantiomer is
    *C(=O)OC[C@H](OC(=O)*)COP(=O)(O)OCCCOP(=O)(O)OC[C@@H](OC(=O)*)COC(=O)*

Z is propane-1,3-diol, OCCCO.

PL3 is phosphatidylethanol. One enantiomer of its physiological monoanion is
CCOP(=O)([O-])OC[C@@H](OC(=O)*)COC(=O)*

Its other enantiomer has @ in place of @@. The hydrolysis coefficient is \(\boxed{m=4}\).

Solution

5.1 — Number of hydrogen fragments

Each glycerol fragment has three attachment sites, each phosphorus fragment has two, and each acyl fragment has one. Including the hydrogen fragments, the number of attachment sites is therefore

\[ 3(3)+2(2)+4(1)+n=17+n. \]

Each new bond consumes two attachment sites, so \(17+n\) must be even. Consequently, \(n\) is odd, giving answer (b).

The exact value follows from acyclicity. There are \(9+n\) fragments, and connecting them into one acyclic molecule requires \(8+n\) interfragment bonds:

\[ \frac{17+n}{2}=8+n \quad\Longrightarrow\quad \boxed{n=1}. \]

In the resulting cardiolipin, this hydrogen completes the central glycerol hydroxyl group. The two phosphate hydroxyl hydrogens are already present in fragments \(b\).

5.2 — PL1, its stereochemistry, and stabilization of Y

For the requested drawing, use a central glycerol unit whose two terminal hydroxyl groups form phosphate esters. Its secondary hydroxyl remains free.

Each phosphate has:

  • one \(\ce{P=O}\) bond;
  • one acidic \(\ce{P-OH}\) group;
  • one ester linkage to the central glycerol;
  • one ester linkage to a terminal oxygen of an outer glycerol.

Each outer glycerol carries two fatty acyl esters: one on its secondary oxygen and one on its remaining terminal oxygen. This uses exactly three glycerol fragments, two phosphate fragments, four acyl fragments, and one additional hydrogen.

The two outer glycerol stereocentres must have the same absolute configuration: either \((S,S)\), as encoded in the answer SMILES, or \((R,R)\). These structures are enantiomers. With identical arms, the central glycerol carbon in neutral PL1 is not a stereocentre. Opposite outer configurations allow the achiral, internally reflection-symmetric alternatives described in the question.

For Y, remove one phosphate proton and fold the central head group to form the hydrogen-bond sequence

\[ \underbrace{\ce{P-O-H}}_{\text{one phosphate}} \;\cdots\; \underbrace{\ce{O-H}}_{\text{central glycerol hydroxyl}} \;\cdots\; \underbrace{\ce{O^- -P}}_{\text{other phosphate}}. \]

The central oxygen accepts the first hydrogen bond and donates the second. Together with the covalent glycerol–phosphate framework, these interactions close two seven-membered hydrogen-bonded rings, counting the bridging hydrogen in each ring.

This cooperative hydrogen bonding stabilizes the monoanion. Removing the remaining phosphate proton removes a hydrogen-bond donor and creates a second negative charge in the compact head group. Thus the second deprotonation is substantially less favourable:

\[ \boxed{pK_{a_2}\gg pK_{a_1}}. \]

The SMILES specifies connectivity, formal charge, and a proton-localized stereochemical representation; it does not encode this folded conformation or the hydrogen bonds.

5.3 — Molecular formula of the fatty acid

Reductive ozonolysis retains the original carboxyl group in one product. Since there is only one carboxyl group per fatty-acid molecule, the carboxyl-containing product is formed once per molecule.

The three products occur in equimolar amounts, so each fatty-acid molecule produces three fragments. For an acyclic fatty acid, this requires two carbon–carbon double bonds.

An acyclic monocarboxylic acid containing \(c\) carbon atoms and two carbon–carbon double bonds therefore has formula

\[ \ce{C_{$c$}H_{2$c$-4}O2}. \]

Let \(B\) denote the total number of \(\sigma\) and \(\pi\) bonds, counting a double bond as two. From the usual valences,

\[ B_{\mathrm{fatty\ acid}} = \frac{4c+(2c-4)+2(2)}{2} =3c. \]

The small molecules in the hydrolysis are water, O; glycerol, OCC(O)CO; and phosphoric acid, OP(=O)(O)O. Their bond totals are

\[ B_{\ce{H2O}}=2,\qquad B_{\mathrm{glycerol}}=13,\qquad B_{\ce{H3PO4}}=8. \]

The balanced hydrolysis is

\[ \ce{PL1 + 8H2O -> 4RCOOH + 2H3PO4 + 3C3H8O3}. \]

Hydrolysis replaces each ester linkage by two bonds to the atoms of water, preserving the total bond-order sum across this equation. Hence

\[ 255+8(2)=4B_{\mathrm{fatty\ acid}}+2(8)+3(13), \]

\[ 271=4B_{\mathrm{fatty\ acid}}+55, \]

\[ B_{\mathrm{fatty\ acid}}=54. \]

Therefore,

\[ 3c=54,\qquad c=18, \]

and

\[ \boxed{\mathrm{RCOOH}=\ce{C18H32O2}}. \]

As an independent check, condensation of the hydrolysis products gives

\[ \ce{PL1}=\ce{C81H142O17P2}. \]

Its total bond count is

\[ B_{\mathrm{PL1}} = \frac{4(81)+142+2(17)+5(2)}{2} =\boxed{255}. \]

Here phosphorus has bond-order sum five, consistent with the supplied \(\ce{P=O}\) drawings.

The linoleic-acid SMILES in the answer is a compatible structural representative. Formula determination alone does not establish its particular double-bond positions or \(Z\) configurations.

5.4 — Identification of X

Using the supplied atomic masses,

\[ M(\ce{C18H32O2}) =18(12.01)+32(1.008)+2(16.00) =280.436\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \]

Iodine is \(\ce{I2}\), SMILES II, with

\[ M(\ce{I2})=253.8\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \]

The amount of iodine consumed per mole of fatty acid is

\[ \frac{n(\ce{I2})}{n(\mathrm{fatty\ acid})} = \frac{181.0/253.8}{100/280.436} =2.000. \]

This agrees with addition across two double bonds:

\[ \ce{C18H32O2 + 2I2 -> C18H32I4O2}. \]

For addition of an iodine-containing interhalogen, two reagent molecules introduce two iodine atoms per fatty-acid molecule. Thus

\[ 0.3657 = \frac{2(126.9)} {280.436+2M(X)}. \]

Solving,

\[ M(X) = \frac{253.8/0.3657-280.436}{2} =206.79\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \]

The mass remaining after accounting for one iodine atom is

\[ 206.79-126.9=79.89\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}, \]

which matches bromine, \(79.90\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\). Therefore,

\[ \boxed{X=\ce{IBr}}, \]

iodine monobromide, IBr.

The balanced addition is

\[ \ce{C18H32O2 + 2IBr -> C18H32Br2I2O2}. \]

Checking the iodine fraction,

\[ w_{\mathrm I} = \frac{253.8} {280.436+2(126.9+79.90)} =0.365687 \approx\boxed{36.57\%}. \]

For the compatible linoleic-acid representative, constitutional representations of the addition products are 9,10,12,13-tetraiodooctadecanoic acid, CCCCCC(I)C(I)CC(I)C(I)CCCCCCCC(=O)O, and 9,12-dibromo-10,13-diiodooctadecanoic acid, CCCCCC(I)C(Br)CC(I)C(Br)CCCCCCCC(=O)O. These SMILES leave addition-product stereochemistry unspecified; neither stereochemistry nor alternative interhalogen regiochemistry affects the mass calculation.

5.5 — Lipid phase after protonation

Protonating both phosphate groups reduces electrostatic repulsion and hydration of the polar head group, decreasing its effective cross-sectional area. The four hydrocarbon tails retain their large volume.

Consequently, the packing parameter

\[ p=\frac{v}{a_0l_c} \]

increases as the head-group area \(a_0\) decreases. This favours curvature around aqueous channels and formation of the inverse hexagonal phase.

Tick (d). In that drawing, polar heads face inward toward water-filled cylindrical channels, while hydrocarbon tails extend outward into the surrounding lipid region.

5.6 — Structures of PL2 and PL3

For PL2, compare its hydrolysis with that of PL1. The fatty acids, phosphoric acid, and water coefficients are unchanged; one glycerol molecule is replaced by Z. Therefore,

\[ B(Z)-B(\mathrm{glycerol}) = B(\mathrm{PL2})-B(\mathrm{PL1}) =-1, \]

so

\[ B(Z)=13-1=\boxed{12}. \]

For an acyclic saturated diol, \(\ce{C_{$k$}H_{2$k$+2}O2}\),

\[ B(Z) = \frac{4k+(2k+2)+4}{2} =3k+3. \]

Thus

\[ 3k+3=12 \quad\Longrightarrow\quad k=3. \]

The required symmetry places the two hydroxyl groups at equivalent terminal positions, giving propane-1,3-diol, \(\ce{HOCH2CH2CH2OH}\), OCCCO.

A central carbonyl alternative, dihydroxyacetone, OCC(=O)CO, would also reduce the bond total by one relative to glycerol, but it would undergo catalytic hydrogenation. The stated nonreactivity excludes it.

Accordingly, draw PL2 by replacing the central \(\ce{-CH(OH)-}\) group of PL1 with \(\ce{-CH2-}\), retaining the same two outer glycerol configurations. This gives 2′-deoxycardiolipin, whose SMILES is listed in the answers. Replacing the central hydroxyl by hydrogen allows greater symmetry, including a conformation with a twofold rotation exchanging the two identical halves.

Its neutral molecular formula and balanced hydrolysis are

\[ \ce{PL2}=\ce{C81H142O16P2}, \]

\[ \ce{C81H142O16P2 + 8H2O -> 4C18H32O2 + 2H3PO4 + C3H8O2 + 2C3H8O3}. \]

Removing one oxygen from PL1 lowers the bond-order sum by one:

\[ B_{\mathrm{PL2}} = \frac{4(81)+142+2(16)+5(2)}{2} =\boxed{254}. \]

For PL3, the hydrolysis products identify two fatty acyl groups, one glycerol, one phosphate, and ethanol, CCO.

Draw a glycerol with fatty acyl esters on its secondary oxygen and one terminal oxygen. Connect its other terminal oxygen to a phosphate group, and connect ethanol through oxygen to that same phosphate. The phosphate retains one acidic hydroxyl:

\[ \ce{R-C(=O)-O-CH2-CH[O-C(=O)-R]-CH2-O-P(=O)(OH)-O-CH2-CH3}. \]

This is phosphatidylethanol. One enantiomer of its neutral acid form is

CCOP(=O)(O)OC[C@@H](OC(=O)*)COC(=O)*

At physiological pH, its remaining phosphate hydroxyl is deprotonated, giving the monoanion shown in the answers. A phosphate on the central glycerol oxygen, with identical acyl groups on both terminal oxygens, would instead give an achiral structure; this is excluded by the stated enantiomeric pair.

There are two carboxylic ester linkages and two phosphate ester linkages to hydrolyse, requiring four water molecules:

\[ \boxed{m=4}. \]

For the neutral acid form, the balanced equation is

\[ \ce{C41H73O8P + 4H2O -> 2C18H32O2 + H3PO4 + C2H6O + C3H8O3}. \]

The solution was checked against the official solution.