Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) with laser-induced fluorescence detection is used for the analysis of three classes of aminophospholipids: phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS), and lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) molecular species. 3-(2-Furoyl) quinoline-2-carboxaldehyde (FQ), a fluorogenic dye, was employed for labeling of these phospholipids. The FQ-labeled lipid species were then separated by sodium deoxycholate MEKC modified with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin. Baseline resolution of each class of phospholipids was achieved within 7 min. The migration time in each class increased with the carbon number of their side aliphatic chain. Separation efficiencies of similar to3 x 10(5) plates were observed for most of these species. Concentration detection limits (3 sigma) were from 10(-9) to 10(-11) m for PE and LPE species and from 10(-8) to 10-9 m for PS species. The relative standard deviations for migration time and peak area were less than 0.9% and 4.5%, respectively, for seven PE species. This method was applied to the separation of PE isolated from HT29 human colon cancer cells and roughly 30 PE species were resolved.