Phosphatidylglycerol (PG) was synthesized from several phosphatidylcholines (PCs) via phospholipase D (PLD)-catalyzed transphosphatidylation in an aqueous system. The yield of PG were 71 and 68 mol% from soybean PC and egg yolk PC, respectively, under the optimum reaction conditions of 50 mu mol PC, 10 mmol glycerol, 3 ml of acetate buffer, 1.6 U PLD, and 30 mu mol CaCl2 at 37A degrees C for 48 h. In case of salmon roe PC with 14.3% eicosapentaenoic acid and 26.8% docosahexaenoic acid, the PG yield increased to 94 mol% by addition of 46 mu mol alpha-tocopherol, although the PG yield was only 10% in absence of alpha-tocopherol.