title: Esterification of cholesterol by the hepatopancreas of the mollusc Biomphalaria glabrata.
abstract: Homogenates of the hepatopancreas of the mollusc Biomphalaria glabrata, previously called Australorbis glabratus Say, 1818 (Pressoa, 1969), were incubated with cholesterol-4-C14 (dispersed on celite) at 37 degrees C for 24 hr. The lipids were extracted, separated into classes by thin-layer chromatography and the radioactivity associated with the different classes determined. Net esterfication of cholesterol was then obtained by calculating the percent of the total cholesterol radioactivity incorporated into the esterified cholesterol. The esterified cholesterol was also fractionated by thin layer chromatography, and the relative distribution of radioactivity associated with the different cholesterol ester groups was determined. The results showed the presence of cholesterol esterifying activity in the hepatopancreas with a percent esterification of 20.6%. It was found that the accumulation of radioactivity was higher in the polyunsaturated esters and lower in the monounsaturated esters.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001700:Biomphalaria / Q000378:metabolism*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D002788:Cholesterol Esters / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002788:Cholesterol Esters; D002784:Cholesterol