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ACETYL TRANSPORT MECHANISMS IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. THE OXOGLUTARATE SHUNT AND FATTY ACID SYNTHESIS IN THE DEVELOPING RAT BRAIN *
Author(s) -
D'Adamo Amedeo F.,
D'Adamo Ann P.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1968.tb11616.x
Subject(s) - fatty acid synthesis , biochemistry , citric acid cycle , glutamate receptor , central nervous system , fatty acid , enzyme , metabolism , chemistry , specific activity , nervous system , biology , medicine , endocrinology , neuroscience , receptor
Radioactive acetyl groups and lipids are produced from dl ‐[5‐ 14 C]glutamate. Degradation studies indicate that approximately 90 per cent of the radioactivity is localized in the original carboxyl groups of the two carbon unit. Since these results are shown not to be due to a 14 CO 2 fixation, it is concluded that the oxoglutarate shunt as an acetyl group transport system is functional in brain. The highest ratio of fatty’acid activity/CO 2 activity in this pathway is found in the newborn rat brain and steadily decreases with development. This pattern is observed with incubations of brain slices with labelled glutamate or citrate and is similar to the changes observed in the activity of the citrate cleavage enzyme with brain maturation. In contrast to the previous studies with liver preparations, the conversion of [2‐ 14 C]‐ and [5‐ 14 C]glutamate to fatty acids is relatively small. This is particularly true during the period of maximal lipid synthesis.