The mechanism of experimental adipocere formation: substrate specificity on microbial production of hydroxy and oxo fatty acids.
Studies are reported on microbial conversion of various unsaturated fatty acids to 10-hydroxy and/or 10-oxo fatty acids by Micrococcus luteus. Four fatty acids possessing cis-9-unsaturation produced 10-hydroxy and 10-oxo fatty acid products, but three enoic acids possessing trans-9-unsaturation or double bond(s) in other than the 9-carbon position were inactive as substrates. 10-Hydroxy palmitic and stearic acids were converted to the corresponding 10-oxo fatty acids, but the 10-oxo compounds were inactive as substrates. This indicates that the metabolic sequence of cis-9-enoic fatty acid by the microbial enzyme(s) is first converted to 10-hydroxy fatty acid and then to its 10-oxo compound.
Department of Legal Medicine, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
T
T
Takatori
H
H
Gotouda
K
K
Terazawa
K
K
Mizukami
M
M
Nagao
D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism*; D006900:Hydroxylation; D008837:Micrococcus / Q000201:enzymology*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013379:Substrate Specificity
D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated