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Effects of triparanol and AY‐9944 upon sterol biosynthesis in Chlorella
Author(s) -
Patterson G. W.,
Doyle P. J.,
Dickson L. G.,
Chan J. T.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/bf02532506
Subject(s) - sterol , reductase , biology , biochemistry , biosynthesis , chlorella , enzyme , isomerase , clinical chemistry , algae , botany , cholesterol
The growth rates of three species of Chlorella were inhibited by triparanol and AY‐9944. Chlorella emersonii was noticeably more resistant to both inhibitors than the other species. A large number of sterols were isolated and identified in inhibited cultures. Ca. 18 of these were identified from nature for the first time. Triparanol resulted in inhibition of the removal of the 14α methyl group. It also inhibited the second alkylation of the side chain and, in one species, strongly inhibited the Δ 8 → Δ 7 isomerase reaction. In C. ellipsoidea , triparanol also inhibited Δ 14 ‐reductase and Δ 7 ‐reductase. The introduction of the Δ 22 double bond was inhibited by both drugs. The effect of AY‐9944 was similar to that of triparanol in C. emersonii , but it was an extremely effective Δ 14 ‐reductase inhibitor in C. ellipsoidea . These various types of inhibition of sterol synthesis indicate a lack of specificity of both drugs in Chlorella and suggest that primitive plants such as these may be valuable as test organisms in an evaluation of the activity of potential inhibitors of sterol biosynthesis.