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Fatty Acids: Reactions, Mechanisms and Enzymes

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Purified fatty acid synthetase from liver cytoplasm normally catalyzes the sythesis of palmitate(C16) from acetyl CoA, malonyl CoA, and NADPH. The enzyme also will function, although at considerably reduced rates, if the acetyl CoA is replaced by (1) propionyl CoA or (2) butyryl CoA.

a) What do you predict will be the major product of the reaction in each of the latter two cases?

b) How many can the predictions above be used to determine the mechanism by which the fatty acids are released from the fatty acid synthetase?

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To insight the initiator in the chain is the acetyl coA. However, propionyl CoA can also initiate, and rather than 14 +2 we get 14 +3 (C17) fatty acid.

butyryl gives the sequence 4 + 14 ...

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