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Biosynthesis of hydrocarbons by algae: Decarboxylation of stearic acid to N-heptadecane inAnacystis nidulans determined by13C- and2H-labeling and13C nuclear magnetic resonance

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Lipids

Abstract

The distribution of isotopic labels inn-heptadecane enriched from [1,2-13C] and [2-13C, 2-2H3) acetates byAnacystis nidulans has been determined by13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR). Labeling with [1,2-13C] acetate is consistent with assembly from13C−13C units derived from an acetate “starter” group and 8 malonate units, as in fatty acid biosynthesis, followed by production of a methyl group through bond cleavage of the terminal13C−13C unit. A comparison of the hydrocarbon with palmitic acid (the only fatty acid produced in sufficient amount for NMR analysis) enriched from [2-13C,2-2H3]acetate by the same culture shows that they have retained the same fraction of2H at corresponding sites, and have therefore undergone identical biosynthetic and hydrogen-deuterium exchange processes, as would be expected ifn-heptadecane originates from de novo-synthesized stearic acid.

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NRCC No. 18251.

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McInnes, A.G., Walter, J.A. & Wright, J.L.C. Biosynthesis of hydrocarbons by algae: Decarboxylation of stearic acid to N-heptadecane inAnacystis nidulans determined by13C- and2H-labeling and13C nuclear magnetic resonance. Lipids 15, 609–615 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02534009

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02534009

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